Phenomenon
by Arlena4815162342
Summary: Meet teen sisters Leah and Lena, survivors of the Avias Airways flight. Crashing in Arizona. Getting sick. Getting kidnapped. Getting thrown into a national conspiracy. Finding secrets to their pasts? There's more to these sisters than meets the eye...
1. Avias Airways Flight 514

**Phenomenon**_  
_

_"Down, here comes the sound, everyone pound your feet to this phenomenon," ~Thousand Foot Krutch_

I do not own_** The Event**_

"I wish we didn't have to go."

Sisters Arlena and Alea Mason, fourteen and sixteen, better known as Lena and Leah, were sat on the chairs in the airport with many others, waiting for their plane to come. Leah had her face in her palms, her dark hair intertwined in her fingers. "You okay?" Lena asked, smoothing the top of her long, mid-brown hair.

"I'm stressing," Leah told her, looking up and both their brown eyes locked. "Dad was just retarded enough to move out of the country to Brazil." she explained. "Though it was the military's fault.."

"It'll be fun though you know…visiting another country." Lena said enthusiastically.

Leah scoffed. "Sure."

It was finally time to board. "Ohh. yeah. First class seats." Leah chimed.

"Window seat!" Lena rushed into her seat and buckled herself in, then stared out of the window.

"Put your freaking book bag under the seat." Leah ordered, doing the same.

"Oh, sorry. What's with you?" Lena asked, cramming her bag under.

Sighing, Leah looked back down the long aisle of the plane. "I dunno," she mumbled. "I just have a bad feeling, that's all."

"What, like a hunch?" Lena asked. Leah nodded. "What…you think we're gonna crash?" Lena guessed. Leah shot her a glare, then watched as more people piled on board.

_"Once again welcome aboard Avias Airways flight 514, at this time please make sure your seat belts are securely fastened." _a stewardess spoke on the intercom. A steward walked down the aisle, making sure everyone was good to go.

* * *

"Can I sit there?" a strange man came up and sat on the window seat behind Lena. She glanced at him to see he had some stubble, poofy dark hair and blue eyes. Lena could see he had sweat rolling down his face, as he was nervously glancing out the window.

Thinking he's just scared of flying, Lena turned back around and laid back. Leah, finally buckled in her belt, looked over. "I hope we're both wrong about my hunch." she whispered.

Lena tilted her head and stared. "Nothing's gonna happen." she assured.

Finally the plane was off and they were in the air.

Just then, the guy sitting behind Lena got up, and plodded his way to the front. Lena peered over, wondering what was up. "Sir please, I need you to sit down. Sir-" the stewardess said to him.

Then she screamed.

Both the sisters jumped in shock, and they saw the man come back out holding a gun.

Everyone panicked.

"He's got a gun!" someone yelled.

The man with the gun banged on the pilot door. "Open the door!" he demanded.

"What's going on?" Lena asked, frantic.

"Shh, it's okay." Leah assured, sounding horrified.

"You don't have to do this!" the man yelled then. "Just open the door and we can figure this out together but you have to open the door!"

A couple guys went up to him. "BACK! BACK! GET BACK!" he yelled.

"_We're gonna die!"_ Lena screeched, sobbing loudly.

"No we're not! Lena, stop!" Leah screeched back.

"Can you open it?" the gunman asked the stewardess.

"Uh, uh, no," she mumbled.

"CAN YOU OPEN THE DOOR? PLEASE?" he asked again.

"No, I can't I can't." she said.

"How do I talk to the pilot?" he asked.

"Uh…middle button on the phone." she said. The gunman grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. He whispered some things, then began pounding on the door.

_"DROP THE GUN!"_

The gunman stopped. "Sir I'm an Air Marshal and I'm not gonna ask twice." another guy with a gun came up. "Drop the gun put your hands up or I will shoot you!" he yelled.

"It's not what it looks like!" the gunman said.

"DO IT NOW!" the Marshal demanded.

The gunman dropped the gun, and the phone. "Listen listen." he started then. "When this is all over you can arrest me all you want but right now, we HAVE to get into the cockpit." he explained.

"Call the pilot and tell him to turn around." the Marshal said to the stewardess. "Turn around put your hands behind your back!" he ordered.

"Alright…" the gunman said. All of a sudden there was a gunshot from inside the cockpit; people screamed.

"What the…" the Marshal said. Then the plane began to shake and turn.

"AHHHHH! WE'RE GONNA DIE, WE'RE GONNA DIE, NOOO!" Lena fell out of her seat and cried.

Leah unbuckled her seat belt and held her sister up. "Shut up! We're not gonna-" she fell down when the plane turned again.

"What the hell was that? Who's in there?" the Marshal asked.

"I'll explain everything once we're on the ground; but right now, unless you want to be used as a live bomb you have to get us in there!" the gunman explained.

"Bomb? Bomb! _Bomb!_" Lena wailed.

Leah grabbed Lena's hands and placed them over her ears. "We'll be okay. I promise." she said to her, tears rolling down her sun-browned cheeks. Lena tightened her grip on her ears, closed her eyes and looked down.

"Please…please…please!" the gunman begged.

The marshal stopped. "Okay." he agreed.

"Okay? Thank you." the gunman breathed.

"Open the door." the Marshal said to the stewardess. Then she stopped. "What is that?" the gunman pointed at the blinking light on the door.

"It-it's when the pilot can override the door, and he just did-" the light turned red. "It's locked." she announced.

"Try it again!" the gunman said. "Goddamnit Mike!" he pounded on the door. Then suddenly everyone looked out of the right window. Leah did too, and saw an air force jet.

"They're gonna shoot us down," the Marshal realized. "How do we get in there they're, gonna shoot us down!" he exclaimed.

The plane turned again and Leah fell out into the aisle.

"No!" Lena screamed, throwing her hands out to pull Leah back up.

"Get back in the seat!" Leah screamed, pulling herself up. Quickly they got back in their seats and buckled in. The plane was then starting to generally fly downward, forcing the girls to lean back into their seats.

The gunman grabbed the phone. "Mike, Mike! MIKE! Please! Listen to me, whatever they promised you, you can't trust them! Just stop and we'll come up with something! We'll find her! Please, listen! I love Leila too. BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING! SHE WOULD NEVER WANT YOU TO DO THIS! Mike! _MIKE_!"

He dropped the phone. Lena had finally gone quiet, only whimpering as she clenched the handle bars of her seat. Both she and Leah had looked out the window just in time to see what happened.

A white-ish blue aura, or shield, surrounded the plane, then both girls closed their eyes as the whole inside of the plane was encased by a bright light. And then they were gone.


	2. Miami To Arizona?

When the blue-white aura was gone, the plane was still flying downwards.

Everyone was screaming and crying, Lena and Leah included.

Suddenly a wing of the plane smashed into a rock, swerving it. It made everyone freak out even more.

And then it hit ground.

On impact, everyone was sent flying upwards- those who weren't buckled.

For those who were, jerked violently upwards and strained their lower parts of their stomachs' where the buckles lay.

When the plane stopped, mostly everyone calmed down. Or not.

"What the hell just happened?" the marshal asked.

The gunman pounded on the cockpit door, "Michael?" he said. "Michael!"

**_Boom_**.

A fire sparked in the back. "FIRE!" some screamed.

"We've gotta get everyone out right now." the gunman said.

"We need everyone out now!" the marshal repeated.

The gunman opened the fire escape, and a floatable slide popped out and rolled down. "Move fast!"

"Lena?" Leah shook her sister, who was unconscious. "Lena!" she unbuckled her belt.

"Ohh..." Lena said, eyes opening slowly.

"Come on there's a fire, go!" Leah yelled. She helped Lena out and towards the front where everyone was going down the slide.

When they made it out, Leah dragged her sister over to where everyone else was, in a group away from the plane.

"What happened...?" Lena asked, laying down flat on her back.

"Is this a desert? How the fuck did we get _here_?" Leah demanded.

"_Desert_?" Lena struggled to sit up. "Whoa..." she rubbed her brown eyes, thinking she was hallucinating. While Leah's same colored eyes wished SHE _was_ hallucinating.

The stewardess, marshal, and gunman came out last. "Look! There's one more." the stewardess pointed over.

The sisters looked over to see the pilot: Michael Buchanan.

"Michael!" the gunman shouted. Michael looked dazed, in shock. The gunman ran up to him. "Michael! What happened?" he asked. The pilot fell, making the gunman kneel.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"I had no choice," Michael gasped. "They killed Val, they were gonna kill the girls!" he explained.

Both sisters strained to hear what they were saying- the pilot mentioned a girl named 'Vicky', and that 'Leila' recognized her.

"HEY HEY, LOOK! HELP IS COMING!"

Everyone looked up to see helicopters flying towards them.

"That's not help!" Michael said.

"What do you mean?" the gunman asked.

"You can't trust anyone! You're the only one who can help her! You have to find Leila!" Michael exclaimed.

"I'm not gonna leave you!" the gunman told him.

"You still have time to save her! But you have to go now! Now! Go! Sean! Go!" Michael urged.

Sean turned and ran off away from the others.

"Where's he going?" Lena demanded.

"I don't know! Why did the pilot say the helicopters weren't help?" Leah said.

"He said that?" Lena asked.

As the choppers came closer, everything rumbled.

* * *

CIA operative Simon Lee arrived on scene at the airplane.

"Sir!"

Simon went over to where they found the pilot- laying face up, eyes closed.

He checked his pulse, there was none.

_"Agent Lee!"_

Simon looked up to see a man wave him over, "You're gonna wanna see this!" he said.

The agent walked over. "What the-?"

"The planes empty; everyone made it out..." the man started. "So whatever went down...happened _after_." he explained.

Simon took off his glasses and stared in shock.

Every single passenger was all laid on the ground. "Checked the vitals on all of them...dead sir. Every last one." the man told him.

In the middle of the passengers, Lena was lay flat on her stomach.

Leah too, only she had her arm draped over Lena, as if she had shielded her...

Simon looked back at the plane.

_What the hell happened?_


	3. Protect Us From The Truth

All of the passengers bodies' were placed in the warehouse, which was a temporary morgue.

Solider Jinks was walking around, surveying the area.

Until he heard _breathing_.

He turned around, and saw a girl who was rasping. He knelt down to her, and she opened her eyes, revealing to be a shade of light blue.

"Uh!" Jinks turned on his walkie. "This is Jinks! Uh, I need a medic team right away, one of the passengers is showing vitals!" he exclaimed.

_"Vitals? They're all dead."_

"I know that! But would you just hurry? Somehow one of them survived the crash," Jinks explained. "It's okay," he said to the girl, "You're gonna be okay." he assured.

She nodded, and then Jinks heard a grunt.

He looked over and saw a man start to sit up with struggle.

As Jinks went over to him, he heard several more breaths.

Everyone was waking up.

"Uh- uh- I need some people down here." he spoke in his walkie.

_"What's going on?"_

"Everyone's waking up. They're all waking up! I need you down here now!" Jinks declared.

* * *

"I noticed somethin' wasn't right. The seat belt light was on, but a passenger got up anyway!" the air marshal, Dan, said when he was being questioned.

"Where am I?" a little girl, Carla asked. "I'm hungry, I haven't had anything to eat." she whined.

"Look, I don't know anything! We were on the plane, and now we're here!" Leah screeched when it was her turn.

Lena didn't say anything her round.

"I was going to Brazil...and, the last thing I remember, is taking off in Miami." a woman, Amanda, said.

"I-I don't know what happened." Daniel said. "I mean, I've been trying to figure out what happened, w-why don't _you_ tell me what happened?"

"I remember," Jackie started. "Shutting my eyes, willing myself to get there, and now I'm here." she explained.

"I want my mommy." Carla was crying.

"I work for the damn government, I expect you to tell me what the hell's going on in here!" Dan yelled, anger brewing.

"Nobody will even tell me where I am, okay? Does that seem _normal_ to you?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing, has been made clear." Jackie said.

"Why can't I remember anything about it?" Amanda was crying now.

* * *

"I don't understand this," President Elias Martinez said, "I saw these people, and they were _dead_."

He, a doctor, and Vice President Raymond Jarvis were discussing what had happened.

Though none of the passengers had a pulse, heartbeat, brain activity, they were still alive the whole time.

Then Martinez asked why Sophia, the leader of a group of non-terrestrial's people would kill the passengers, and then bring them back.

Jarvis said it could be a threat, showing them what they could do.

Then it was told that the pilot, Michael Buchanan had awoken.

And Blake Sterling, director of National Intelligence, was questioning him.

Bad idea.

* * *

_**Hospital rooms**_

"When can we go home? I wanna call Mom," Lena whined, taking a drink of water that a nurse gave her.

"Hopefully soon," Leah replied, her brown eyes surveying the other passengers present.

"I wonder why I remember a guy," Lena said then, staring into her half empty cup.

"Guy?" Leah repeated.

"Yeah...it's all I can remember is this guy. It's weird." Lena explained, swishing the liquid around.

"Hm," Leah said, reaching for her drink. "What do you remember about him?"

Lena paused. "He...he knew the pilot. And then he was running."

"Running from what?"

"I don't know! I can't remember!"

Leah sighed. _Why couldn't they remember anything?_


	4. Casualties Of War

President Elias Martinez was pissed.

"You still can't trace that phone call? He even got close enough TO MY _SON_, put a phone in his bag!"

One of Sophia's people made a threat to the president. Release her and the ninety-seven prisoners in Alaska, or people will die.

Agent Simon Lee was arguing, saying it may have happened when his son was at school; the phone placed in the bag unattended.

Martinez ordered more security around his home.

"I don't care how you do it, but you're gonna find the man who made that call."

Simon nodded. "Yes sir."

Blake Sterling decided the only way to get more intel was to crack Sophia in her interrogation.

* * *

Leah said, "Hey, your nose."

Lena replied, "Yours too."

Leah and Lena rubbed their noses to reveal blood on their arms. All the other passengers were bleeding too.

"What the-" Leah said, starting to cough. Lena spit out blood.

Doctors in gas masks and blue suits came from everywhere. It was locked down to quarantine.

One of the passengers got up from her bed and tried to escape, but she was captured.

The air marshal demanded to know what was going on, sounding like a madman.

Everyone's faces were very pale. When Lena heard banging, she looked up over her window. And her brown eyes were wide when she saw that the pilot, Michael, was banging against his chained window.

He was locked in another room by himself. He was pale also, and had a nosebleed like the others.

"STOP IT!" Lena cried at him, sitting back down, and covering her ears, hyperventilating.

_"WHAT IS HAPPENING?" _she heard Michael ask frantically.

Meanwhile, Leah brushed back her short, dark hair to get it out of her face. She was wrapped up in her hospital blanket, trying to ignore everyone's cries.

But the sixteen year old was strong enough to hold back the tears, and the agony she was feeling.

She looked over at Lena, who was telling someone to 'stop it'.

Leah knew they were going to die.

* * *

"Those people on that plane are innocent, some of them _children_." President Martinez said.

"And it's tragic," Blake Sterling said. "But what this man Thomas, is doing, is an act of _war_." he told him. "And in war, there are casualties. It's unavoidable."

They stared at each other for a moment in silence.

"We'll reconvene in two hours, before he calls back in." Martinez decided.

Agent Lee looked a little distressed at that. So when he got to be alone...he called Thomas.

The one who teleported the plane to save Martinez.

_"Yeah?"_ Thomas answered.

"Thomas, listen to me. It's not too late. Hand over the antidote in good faith and there's a chance we can repair the damage you've already done." Lee said sternly.

_"Why?"_ Thomas asked. _"We both know what kind of man Martinez is. When push comes to shove, okay."_

"You can't...turn us into _murderers_!" Lee said.

_"What does it matter? I mean, they're all gonna die anyway. Sophia's been fighting for the release of our people in Innostranka for the last SIXTY-SIX YEARS! And she got nothing. I'm sick of waiting. Now we're gonna do things MY way. And by tomorrow, our people will be free."_

Agent Simon Lee hung up the phone, terrified look on his face.

* * *

The sisters lost all focus.

They were both laying down, wrapped up, mumbling to themselves. They were even paler, and getting much worse.

Dan, the marshal, was having a mini seizure, spitting out blood.

Michael had nearly died, but the blue suited doctors power charged his heart back, making him weak.

It was then an antidote had arrived. "What is that?" Lena asked, spotting the needle.

"The president says it's an antidote; it'll help you." a doctor explained.

After everyone received a dose, they were all fast asleep.

Later on, as everyone slowly woke up at the same time, the doctors all noticed that they were no longer bleeding, or pale.

They looked perfectly fine.

"You alright, sis?" Leah held out her arm, towards her sister.

The fourteen year old held out her arm to lock hands. "Yeah, are you?" Lena said.

Smiling in a way that would make her cry, Leah nodded.


	5. Awake And Alive

_"Today a new development in the story of Avias flight 514 as we reported earlier released a biological agent ordered an emergency landing. The one-hundred eighty-three passengers were moved to a state side pharmacy for an emergency examination. And now after much fear and uncertainty, those passengers are going home."_

Everyone was watching this broadcast.

President Martinez. Blake Sterling. And James Dempsey, a elderly businessman with shadowy intentions.

_"But one of them, won't be so fortunate. Michael Buchanan, the pilot who navigated the plane to safety, died in quarantine, from injuries he suffered in the crash."_

Vice-president Raymond Jarvis winced a little bit.

_"Today he will be remembered as a hero."_

After a discussion between Martinez, Sterling, and Jarvis, the president went to where Michael was, in an interrogation room.

Very much alive.

* * *

Later, when Jarvis tried to found out what was said: access was denied.

Jarvis went and sat in his office, and thought about the day of the assassination attempt of Martinez.

_"He won't budge. He's going through with the announcement." Jarvis said with remorse.  
_

_James Dempsey sighed. "I'm very sorry to hear that. The president has left us no choice. We have to stop him from releasing the detainees."_

_Jarvis winced. "...I keep thinking about those people on the plane; some of them are children."_

_"Raymond. We're doing this to prevent something worse. But Martinez, releasing a dangerous, unknown enemy, into our midst..." Dempsey reminded.  
_

_"I know." Jarvis said._

_"You've been a great, public servant. For our country Ray. But sometimes we don't choose the moment, it chooses us...the plane will be in the air soon. You need to leave the compound."_

_Jarvis hung up, feeling remorseful._

* * *

When the plane landed in Washington D.C., everyone got off quickly. Breaching the gate, the sisters' brown eyes narrowed the area.

"Mom!" Lena ran over to their mother, Nicole, and hugged her tight.

"Oh thank the Lord," Nicole cried. "You're alright."

"It was so scary," Lena started. "When we were all in the rooms in the beds-"

Leah pulled her sister away and whispered into her ear.

_"We're not supposed to say anything."_

Nodding quickly, Lena stared at Nicole.

Leah held up some papers. "Take us to the hospital, Mom. We need this medicine."

"What is it?" Nicole asked, reading it.

"It's like...for post-traumatic stress." Leah answered. Lena nodded.

"Alright, let's go home, unpack, and then I'll take you." Nicole explained, leading her daughters away.

* * *

_**D.C. Hospital****  
**_

After getting their medicine, Lena offered to go to a vending machine to get everyone drinks. Nicole gave her a couple dollars; she went for the car to start it up.

Leah followed Lena to the drinks. After getting waters, they proceeded for the elevator.

Getting on, Lena put her index and middle fingers against her temple.

"You alright?" Leah asked as the elevator door opened. Not their floor; someone else was getting on.

When a man stepped in, it was obvious he was a doctor. He had dark eyes, and poofy dark brown hair, with some creases on his face.

Leah nodded at him, then looked back at her sister.

"I'm fine...I just never wanna be on an airplane again." Lena said quietly.

The man looked over at them.

"I don't wanna be _in_ one. Don't wanna _see_ one. Don't wanna _hear_ one. Don't wanna _think_ of one." Lena put her hand down. "And I certainly don't wanna be in anymore friggin' _hospitals_."

Leah scoffed. "Yeah. Story of our lives."

Little to their knowing, the man in the elevator with them was Thomas. The one who teleported their plane from Miami to Arizona.

The one who made them sick. And the man who gave them the antidote.

All so he could free his mother, Sophia, and all of the other detainees out at Mount Innostranka.

_"Hold it."_

Thomas kept the door open, and another man entered: Blake Sterling. A man with blue eyes, and mostly bald. Thomas' face fell, then tensed; but Sterling didn't know what he _really_ looked like.

Only his name, and what he'd done. He terrorized the Avias airways plane passengers. And just earlier he'd made an entire building _collapse_.

"Thank you," Sterling said, as the elevator continued.

"What floor?" Thomas asked casually.

"Uh, ground, please," Sterling told him.

"How about you?" Thomas looked over at the teens.

"Same for us," Lena said, as Leah was cracking her fingers.

After a few silent moments, Sterling said, "Can I ask you something?"

Thomas looked at him for a brief second, and then stared at the door.

"...would you happen to have a _cigarette_?" Sterling asked.

"No, sorry, been years for me." Thomas explained, a silent sigh of relief flowing through him.

"Hm, me too. Terrible habit. But today is...one of those days." Sterling sighed.

"Know what I do?" Thomas asked.

"Hm?"

"...dark chocolate."

"Chocolate. Really?" Sterling asked.

"Sounds crazy I know but uh, it works." Thomas promised.

The door opened. "Thanks for the tip." Sterling said.

"Anytime." Thomas replied.

Sterling went left, while Lena and Leah went right, following Thomas to the exit.

"Hey." Lena called out.

Thomas stopped, and turned back. Leah flinched over at her sister.

"...dark chocolate really works?" Lena asked.

"Er, yeah..." Thomas answered.

"Cool. Thanks." Lena said, exiting.

"Wow," Leah laughed, as they reached the outside.

"What?" Lena asked.

"Were...were you trying to _hit_ on that guy?"

"What-!" Lena gasped.

Leah giggled. _"Just kidding."_

Lena smirked. "Good, 'cause I was about to say...that guy looked like he was in his forties or something."

"And...weren't you the one who told me that you thought that older men were _hot_?" Leah reminded.

Lena felt her face get hot. "Shut up." then she turned back and looked at the hospital. "But...you know..."

"Know what?" Leah asked.

"There was something weird about that guy, like I knew him or something." Lena admitted.

"Oh, grow up." Leah joked. They made their way to Nicole's car.


	6. Your World To Take

"Holy shit," Leah gaped, staring at the TV screen. "Have you seen this?"

Lena peered over as the news was rolling a scene of a collapsed building. "Whoa, what happened?" she asked.

"That building totally dropped dead or something."

Nicole was watching from the kitchen with fiery blue eyes-

_Damnit_, she thought. _What the hell did he do now?_

The sisters called their father Richard, who was in Brazil (they reason they boarded Avias Airways) telling him they were alright.

_"Alea, Arlena...I'm so sorry, I really wanted to see you guys again."_

Lena snorted. "I'm never getting on a plane again."

"Agreed," Leah said.

_"Goddamnit!"_

The sisters' brown eyes both flickered over to the kitchen, where Nicole was fuming on her cell phone._ "Simon, you get him to contact me right now! I don't care if you're in a hospital!"_

The sisters shared a look.

What was she going on about-?

Hanging up with Richard, they went for their mom. Nicole ran a hand through her dyed black poofy hair, seriously mad.

"Yeah. Thank you, Simon. I'm glad you're alright." she hung up.

"You okay?" Leah asked.

Nicole turned to them, sighing. "Yeah."

* * *

Lena was running a brush through her longish brunette hair, as Leah was twiddling her fingers in her shoulder-length dark hair, as she did back when they boarded Avias.

And they couldn't remember much after boarding.

"I wonder where that guy went," Lena murmured.

"What guy?" Leah asked.

"The guy I told you I barely remember from the plane; he knew the pilot, and then he ran off. It's all fuzzy..." she explained.

"I have no idea." Leah wasn't sure what to say.

Lena put the brush down. "Do we have any dark chocolate?"

"Are you serious?"

"Hey, that mystery guy from the elevator told the baldy guy it worked for cravings; do we have any?"

"Dunno, ask Mom."

Lena paced downstairs, where Nicole was reading a text she had received. "Mom? Do we have any chocolate?" Lena asked.

"Cupboard," Nicole muttered, deleting the message. "I'll be back okay? You two don't leave the house." she announced, heading for the door.

"Okay." Lena yelled, distracted.

As Nicole was gone, Leah came down. "Where'd she go?"

Lena shrugged, then pulled out a bar of Hershey's _dark_ chocolate. "Oh, no way! Score!" she cheered, ripping it open.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Nice."

* * *

Arriving at the meeting, Nicole was greeted by many familiar faces- ones she hadn't seen since her kids were young.

"How are they?" Isabel asked, her dark curls hitting her face.

"Very good," Nicole answered. "But Thomas has some explaining-"

She quieted when she saw the familiar red haired and blue eyed Sophia enter- Nicole had not seen her since their plane landed in Alaska.

Sixty-six years ago.

Thomas was right behind her, making Nicole fume. She seated at the front as Sophia stood behind a microphone stand, Thomas standing nearby.

"It's a pleasure to see you all again," Sophia started. "After so many years."

Everyone clapped.

Nicole saw that Simon was standing afar, cast on his arm. She nodded at him, then stood up with the others as they continued to clap.

When the crowd quieted, Sophia continued. "Now that President Martinez knows there's a group of us living here freely, our days really are numbered. Fortunately, Thomas has made a lot of progress on the infrastructure we'll need to get us back home. I'll be taking over that effort from now on."

Nicole eyed Thomas giving a secret glance at Isabel, but she focused on Sophia.

_Something was up..._

* * *

Mostly everyone left, Nicole had stayed behind.

Sophia's voice softened. "It's obvious that you're all uncomfortable. Someone tell me why?" she sat down.

Isabel sighed. "Sophia, we all appreciate the sacrifices that you and the others have made. Locked up all those years. But...living here has had a profound effect on all of us. Most of us have grown to like it. And the truth is, we don't wanna go home."

Nicole shared a look with Simon. Sophia glanced at her son, Thomas, then back at the others. "I see. And how widespread is this feeling?" she asked.

"Very. I think all of our people agree."

"For the first time in a long while there's a sense of hope among us. We are starting families. We are making a life here."

"I have two teenage daughters," Nicole cut in. "I don't want to make them leave; I haven't even told them what they really are."

"I understand," Sophia said. "I do. But you know what staying will ultimately do to the native population." she went on and on. "But we are going home. Those are my orders." she sounded serious.

Nicole was about to blow, but Thomas stood up. "Go back and tell your people that's the decision. Sophia and I will retrieve the key tomorrow. Once it's activated, we move on to the next phase."

End of discussion.

* * *

"Thomas."

He turned, his brown eyes gazing at Nicole. "Hey." he greeted.

But she shoved him hard, "How could you do that to my kids? Contaminate everyone on their plane? You almost killed them!" she hissed.

"Nicole, I had the antidote. I was going-"

But she wouldn't let him finish. "You're unbelievable! You nearly kill them, and now you got my youngest kid addicted to chocolate."

Thomas stopped. _"What?"_ He remembered the girls from the elevator. "They were your-? I wondered why they were familiar. Haven't seen 'em since they were little."

Nicole sighed, unsure of whether to laugh or be insulted.

_Thomas, Thomas, Thomas..._

* * *

**Yup...so Nicole's a Sleeper, which means the sisters are too, aiee! Explains why Lena said she knew Thomas somehow- but will Nicole ever reveal them the truth to them?  
**


	7. Everything Will Change

Nicole Gabriel watched her teenage daughters make sandwiches in the kitchen.

After returning from the meeting yesterday, she had went to Sophia and questioned her about Isabel.

_"I saw Thomas giving her looks. I don't want to sound mean or anything but..."_

_"It's fine, I've noticed it too. And I promise, I will do something about it." Sophia admitted._

_"Thank you." Nicole said._

"Gimme the mayo." Lena said.

Leah handed her the jar and butter knife.

Nicole's cell was ringing. It was Simon. She turned and went for the living room. "Yeah?"

_"Hey. You guys alright?"_

"Yeah, why?"

_"Listen, Sophia wanted me to tell everyone nearby that if anyone is contacted by Thomas, let her know."_ Simon explained.

"Why?"

_"He's got something bad planned."_

"Is it big?"

_"I think so."_

"Shit."

Hanging up, Nicole stared at the ceiling, her blue eyes fuming yet again.

She knew that Thomas didn't want to go home. He and Isabel were working against Sophia.

Nicole wasn't going to try and stop him. Leave here? Make her daughters leave?

She couldn't have it.

A few hours later Simon called back.

_"Nicole. Get you and the kids somewhere underground; a basement or something."_

"What's going on?"

_"Thomas is going to launch a nuclear missile."_

"A _WHAT?_"

Leah and Lena looked over.

_"I don't know if it's aimed for this country or another, but just get underground now."_

"What about you?"

_"I'll be fine, just hurry."_ Simon pressed.

"Alea, Arlena," Nicole said after hanging up.

"Yeah?" they appeared.

"Get your things, and go down to the basement."

"What?"

_"Now."_

The sisters took off upstairs.

* * *

Nicole raided the kitchen, grabbing anything non-refrigerated. She stuffed it all into a box, and heaved it down into the basement.

She flipped on the old TV, which was set on the news, and then she went for her room upstairs.

Grabbing everything of close meaning, she trudged upstairs.

When Lena walked past her room, she noticed that one of her mom's photo frames fell from her high dresser.

Picking it up Lena saw it was an older picture- of when she was four or five, and her sister nearly seven.

In the picture was a large group of people, her family included. Leah was holding her little sisters hand, and Lena noticed the person who was standing behind her tiny figure.

It was-

_"What the hell?"_

"What is it?" Leah stepped in.

"Look." Lena handed her the picture.

Leah stared, "Okay and-?"

_"Look behind me."_

Leah did. "Hold up. Is that the guy from the elevator?"

Lena was silent. Both of their brown eyes were exactly wide at the photo-

"Who is he?" Leah asked, staring at Thomas.

_Mystery..._

* * *

Thomas and Isabel were watching the missile appear from underground.

The controllers, Chinese men, were counting down the launch in their language.

President Martinez was watching too, and closed his eyes.

The missile emerged, heading straight up.

After demands, it was announced that the USA was not the missile's target.

"Then where is it going?" Martinez demanded.

"We're not detecting any radiation. It's not a nuclear payload." Sterling realized.

In outer space, the missile broke in half, the front part still going forward. It then expanded out into a large satellite of sorts.

"Sir...it's a communication satellite." of the the others announced.

"Who the hell are they communicating with?" Martinez asked.

"The antennas of the satellite are backwards...shooting _away_ from earth."

"They're sending a message _home_." Sterling realized. Martinez looked up with fear.


	8. And Then There Were More

The first line of whatever Thomas's message was had been decoded.

"Bring it up, Blake." Martinez urged.

Sterling did.

**PREPARATIONS ARE BEING MADE FOR YOUR ARRIVAL.**

Everyone stared, with stunned faces.

* * *

When Lena's eyes, dim from her new surroundings, opened, they immediately went wide.

_"Mmm?"_ her mouth was taped. _"Mmm!"_

"Shh," Lena saw a little girl with curly brown-blond hair. "It's okay," She took off the tape. "It's okay."

"Who are you, what is this?" Lena demanded, voice hoarse.

"I don't know, what's your name?" the girl asked.

"L-Lena."

"My name's Samantha," she introduced. Lena noticed that she and Samantha were the only normal girls in the back of the van.

All of the others girls had faces like witches- literally. The glare Samantha gave her made her keep quiet.

When the van suddenly rammed something- everyone screamed.

And then rammed again.

It repeated until the van curved off the road unto a pile of rocks.

After recovering, there were a couple voices from outside.

"Leila!" Samantha recognized.

_"Sam!"_

They got the door open, and Samantha flew into her sister's arms.

Another guy pulled up, and called 911.

"Sean?" Lena recognized the first guy.

"Huh?"

"You're okay." Lena realized.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I was on that plane too." she explained.

"Oh! You guys are okay? No one hurt? The police will come soon, and they'll take you back to your parents." Sean explained.

Lena blinked, trying to remember what happened.

_The basement door opened, and guys with guns ran down._

_They knocked out Nicole immediately._

_Leah stood in front of her sister. "Leave us alone!"_

_They pulled Leah away, and grabbed Lena._

_Leah was resisting, so they left her behind. Lena didn't put up a fight._

She watched Sean, Leila, and Samantha take off.

Lena didn't wanna be left alone with a stranger and witch-faced girls.

"Hey!" she took off after them.

"Go back!" Sean yelled.

"No!" Lena argued.

Sean sighed irritably. "Fine, hurry up!"

They ran down the dark road.

Later, Samantha asked, "Can we stop? I'm tired!"

They did. "Of course," Leila smoothed back her sister's hair.

"Why are we running away from the police?" Samantha asked.

Sean's cell rang; an FBI agent saying Michael Buchanan wanted to meet them.

Lena remembered he was the pilot, and remembered him from the quarantine hospital.

He was still alive-?

* * *

They reached the rendezvous by morning.

Lena was tired, and wanted to sleep.

"You really think my dad's coming?" Leila asked.

Sean nodded. "Yeah."

"What if it's true? What if he's one of them? ...what does that make _me_?" Leila asked.

Sean knelt down. "Leila. It's gonna be alright. Okay?"

A car pulled up.

Michael came out.

So did Nicole.

_"Daddy!"_

_"Mom?"_

Samantha and Lena flew at them, followed by Leila. Simon came up, and shook hands with Sean.

"Why are you here? Where's Leah? What happened?" Lena asked deliberately.

"Shh," Nicole said, hugging her tight.

Leila stepped back. "What's wrong?" Michael asked.

"Someone...told us about..._them_." Leila told him.

Michael looked down.

"I didn't believe her but...we found pictures. Pictures of you from...so long ago." Leila looked at Nicole. "Her too."

"Huh?" Lena stared.

"Is it true?" Leila asked. "Dad?"

Michael looked down, then up. "Are you...?" Leila realized.

"I'm sorry," Michael pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry."

"What is she talking about? What are you?" Lena asked her mother.

_"Shhh..._" Nicole sighed.

* * *

**Well Dempsey's people took Lena at too late a time- least she and Sam didn't suffer what the other girls did! Aie! And uh-oh, is Nicole gonna tell her the truth of what 'they' are, themselves included-?**_  
_


	9. The Renegade

_"What do you mean we're aliens?"_

The cup of cappuccino Lena was enjoying had fallen to the floor.

"I don't know as much as you," Leah admitted. "All Mom said was that we're not..._human_." she explained.

"Then, what _are_ we?" Lena demanded.

"Girls, girls, it's okay."

The sixteen and fourteen year olds looked over towards the kitchen of the unfamiliar home, to see an older woman with blue eyes, and red wavy-curly hair.

"Who are you?" Lena asked, picking up her cappuccino.

The lady sat down on the couch next to Lena. "My name is Sophia," she introduced. "You could say that...I'm in charge." she added.

"In charge of _what_?" Lena asked, fuming.

"Of us. Our people." Sophia told them.

That made the younger sister stiffen. "So...we're...really-?" Lena asked with horror.

"Yes," Sophia confirmed.

"Oh..." Lena set her cup down and then sped into the kitchen, where she emptied her stomach into the trash can.

"What's going on?" Leah demanded, staring down at her hands, in case she was going to transform or phase into something different. She didn't know anymore at this point.

"Everything was fine until now." Sophia started. "But my son, Thomas-"

"Thomas?" Leah repeated. "Is he-is he like...dark brown haired, brown eyed?" she asked.

"...yes? Have you seen him?" Sophia said quickly.

"Um, at the hospital. Only for about a minute. And we saw this picture in our mom's room..." she explained.

"...okay. What he has planned, it's nothing good. Not at all." Sophia said sternly. "He has to be stopped."

"How?" Leah asked.

Sophia only stared at her.

* * *

In the kitchen, when Lena was finally done, she groaned.

She felt a hand on her shoulder; she looked up to see a man hand her some baby wipes. "You okay?" he asked.

Lena nodded. "Yeah thanks." she wiped her mouth.

"It's good to see you again, Arlena." he said seriously, but pleasingly.

She stopped. "Who are you?"

"I'm Simon." he introduced.

Lena was wide-eyed, "Simon? The one my mom talked to on the phone?" she realized.

"That's right." he confirmed.

"...when did we meet?" she asked.

"About ten years ago, you were maybe four, I think?" Simon explained.

Four?

That was how old she was in the picture of her, Leah, Thomas, and several other people.

Lena chose not to bring it up.

* * *

That night, the sisters had to share a large bed in one of the rooms.

Of course neither of them could sleep. In a room near them, they could hear Sean and Leila talking quietly.

"Sophia said that...when Thomas is stopped, we'll be able to go home. The way she said it, it was like..." Leah said.

"Like a not-on-earth home." Lena realized.

Leah sighed. "Wonder what that place is like."

Lena jolted up. "You're considering _leaving_ here-? Our home?" she asked.

"If it keeps everyone safe...then yeah." Leah said.

_Lena wanted to strangle her!_

"Why?"

"I don't want anything bad to happen because of that Thomas psycho." Leah explained.

Lena winced, but did not say anything.

When Leah fell asleep, Lena reached into her pocket for the phone number she had written down.

Earlier, she had managed to swipe Simon's phone, and find Thomas's number.

Luckily she was still in D.C., she could get back to her own house first.

Lena gave a hard look at her sleeping sister. "Sorry Leah, I don't want to go home."

She slipped out of the room and escaped the house.

The next morning, Sophia asked seriously, "What do you mean she's _gone_?"

"She's nowhere in this house." Leah clarified.

"You don't mean that she...?" Michael realized with horror.

Sophia looked down, feeling remorse that she wasn't thorough enough with the fourteen year old.

_She'd had left to go join Thomas._

* * *

**San Francisco**

When Lena had awoke, she looked to see she was in the back of a black car with people she didn't know.

What had happened-?

She made the phone call, and the man on the other line promised her that she would be safe, and that she had made the right decision in wanting to help.

When her car stopped, the door had opened. She followed the strangers outside, where she thought appeared to be a series of community homes.

"Welcome," a man came forth, and Lena immediately recognized him from the elevator and photo: Thomas.

"Come, gather around." he lured everyone close.

Since Lena wasn't as tall as the adults, she managed to get up close.

"You're gonna wanna take a moment to get settled in," Thomas started. "But sixty-six years of prison behind you...well we don't have a moment to waste."

Lena was wide eyed. These people were imprisoned for sixty-six years? How come they weren't _old_-?

_Sophia did mention that they age at a very slow rate..._

"Some of you will be taken elsewhere, to finish the infrastructure. Depending on your specialties, the rest of you will be fine doing design work. Helping us obtain the rest of what we need. We all need homes, in the land we sit on." Thomas continued. "But this is nothing." he said.

He observed everyone. "Once we use the portal to bring our people here, then we will own it _all_."

Lena winced, portal?

_What the-?_

Everyone started to clap. Lena watched as some people went up to shake Thomas's hand, as a thank you.

Another black car pulled up near them, and she eyed Thomas going over towards it.

Lena adjusted the straps of her book bag and she thought, _what exactly was going to happen-?_


	10. A Message Back

Isabel, cell phone in hand, went up to Thomas, who was directing on what to do with the uranium they'd just stolen.

"Thomas, it's Anthony. Says it's important." she said.

He took the cell. "What is it?" he asked into it.

_"We've received a response from the message you sent home."_

"So what does it say?" Thomas asked. Silence. "Anthony?"

_"...it's complicated."_

"What does it say?"

So Anthony told him.

Isabel saw the expression on Thomas's face change radically. "Alright. Copy all the data we need and wipe everything clean. Then get out of there, the government can't know the message." he hung up.

"What is it?" Isabel asked seriously.

Thomas shook his head lightly. "Something bad's happened back home." he said unhappily.

He fought the urge to cry.

* * *

_"I don't care!" Leah yelled, her brown eyes seemed to be flashing according to Nicole's sights. "You might not care about your daughter, but I do! She's my sister!"_

_Sophia and Michael were watching quietly, from afar. "So you go ahead and leave, be afraid of that Thomas guy. If he has Lena, then I'm going with them to stop him, and get her back." With that, the upset sixteen year old went upstairs, disgusted with her own mother._

_Nicole had a hand over her mouth, until she finally spoke in a sob. "I can't-"_

_"It's okay, Nicole," Sophia said. "I understand that you're afraid. We will take care of Alea." she explained._

_"You promise?"_

_"I do." Sophia said._

_"...thank you." Nicole sighed._

* * *

"We know that the Sleepers have obtained the uranium, making them one step closer to their _goal_: bringing more of their people _here._ Because of this situation, there cannot be any more mistakes. From me, or any of you. We must stop Thomas, and Sophia. Before it's too late." President Martinez explained. "Speaking of, have we narrowed down Sophia's location in San Francisco?" he asked.

"Still waiting for her phone to be activated again," Sterling explained. "Soon as she makes or receives another call, we'll be able to locate her."

Suddenly a man entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt-"

"Mr. Vice-President." everyone said, standing up to clap. Just as VP Jarvis was about to reveal to Martinez who manipulated him into helping the assassination plot, he'd been in a near fatal explosion, suffering memory loss. Since Martinez didn't believe him, he'd swore to make him pay for betraying him and the country.

Everyone BUT Martinez and Sterling clapped at the Vice President.

* * *

**San Francisco, California**

"Thomas has played us all for a fool." Sophia said angrily, as Michael sat down at a table with her and Leah, who looked distraught herself. "Now Martinez believes I'm part of the enemy now." Sophia added sadly. "There's nothing I can do to change his mind."

Suddenly they heard Sophia's phone vibrate.

"...who has that number?" Michael asked.

Sophia picked up her phone. "Hello?"

_"Sophia. I wouldn't contact you if I had a choice. But there's something important we need to discuss."_

"I don't think there's anything left to talk about after what you did!"

_"Just hear me out, please. You're aware of the message I sent home?"_

"Yes."

_"Well we got a response. And it changes...it changes everything. We can't afford to be divided any longer."_

"T-Thomas what are you talking about? What was it they sent back?"

_"I can't explain now, it needs to be in person."_

"You think I'm foolish enough to accept your offer of meeting you again?"

_"Not just you. Everyone. I'm gathering all of our people, this is something they all need to hear."_

"I don't believe you."

_"Then don't come."_

"Thomas-"

_"I'll be sending a text with the location of the meeting soon. I hope you're there."_ he hung up.

Sophia looked over at the curious looks on Michael and Leah's faces.

* * *

"We were able to get a location, because she'd just received a call." General Armbruster said.

"Are the Marines on their way?" Martinez asked.

"Yes."

"Good, if you're sure it's her, take her alive. If not..." he didn't need to finish.

Kill her, and whoever else was with her- regardless.

"Yes sir."

* * *

Sophia's phone vibrated. Reading the address to a building in Los Angeles. "I just got it." she told Michael.

"So have many others." Michael said, putting his phone away, as was Leah.

After a debate on whether or not to go, an entire SWAT team had surrounded the whole house. President Martinez gave the order to take down Sophia and whoever was inside; Sterling interrupted, "A communication blast was sent to Sophia, also sent to over two-hundred other phones."

_The trio exited the house._

"She's with Michael Buchanan," Martinez recognized the man on the screen.

"The pilot...he must be one of them too.." Sterling realized.

"Who is that?" Martinez pointed at Leah, following them down the steps.

"What are they up to?" Sterling asked.

"She stays holed up all day, receives a text, and then finally leaves. The blast was either instructions...or a location." Martinez guessed. "Tell your men to back off. And follow Sophia." he ordered.

"Yes sir." the general made the order.

"I don't want _just_ Sophia." Martinez said to a doubtful Sterling. "This is our chance to get them _all_."

* * *

**Los Angeles, California**

Sophia, Michael and Leah were pacing down many streets, getting closer to the meeting point. Leah was nervous- would Lena be there too? If she was..._ooh..._Leah would beat some sense into her younger sister.

Reaching the building, they entered through large brown double doors of the Cathedral. Just seconds after they entered, Leila Buchanan did as well.

"You were right," Sterling said. "They're meeting."

"Move your men into position, General; this is your new target." Martinez pointed at the cathedral on the screen.

At the same moments, Sophia and Michael approached her son and Isabel, while Leah drifted from them.

"Hello Thomas." Sophia said sternly.

"Mother...glad you came." Thomas said, not sounding stern.

Leah looked and looked for anyone shorter than herself. Then finally: longish brunette hair and brown eyes, Leah found the fourteen year old. "Lena!" she ran over to her sister, and grabbed her shirt, lifting her up a little.

"Leah-?" she recognized.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you-? Taking off like that!" Leah yelled.

"I told you! I don't want to go there! I don't think that's even an _option_ now!" Lena yelled.

"...what?" Leah asked.

"Look. Thomas sent some kind of satellite message to the people from...our..._planet_. And they replied it. According to the way Thomas has been acting, it wasn't a response he was expecting. He gathered us here to tell us what happened." she explained.

Leah released her, just as Thomas drew in everyone's attention. "You all know that my mother and I have our differences. The reason I brought you here is to tell you that...we can't afford to be against each other anymore. The message I sent home had been answered. And the response is one that...none of us will wanna hear." he started.

The sisters exchanged looks, Lena giving her an _I told you so_ face.

During this, all police forces arrived on-scene and were now surrounding the area of the church the Sleepers were all in.

"We've all known for a while that our planet's days are numbered. Unfortunately, our calculations were wrong. According to the response I got back, our sun...has started going supernova."

Everyone in the room started to panic.

"What does that mean, the planet's sun going _supernova?_" Lena asked.

"...means it's gonna fuckin' _explode_." Leah realized.

"If we don't bring the rest of our people here within the next two weeks, our kind will cease to exist," Thomas added further. "My plan to bring them here is now obsolete."

Just then a man stepped up and whispered into Thomas's ear. "What is it?" Sophia asked immediately.

_"...the government's here."_

Leah and Lena both looked around when they thought the whirs of a helicopter could be heard from outside.


	11. It's Just Another War

All of the Sleepers in the church realized that police forces have surrounded the building. Looking up, Leah spotted swat guys on the roofs of buildings around them, snipers ready and aimed through their windows.

"Girls, girls."

The sisters spun around to see Nicole. "Mom?" Lena gasped.

"Oh, baby." they exchanged a hug as Leah was snarling.

"Thought you were too scared." she reminded.

Nicole looked at her. "Changed my mind."

Up on deck, Sophia's cell rang. "Elias."

_"I know that you, Thomas, and hundreds of your people are in that church. Surrender peacefully and I promise, no one will be harmed."_ President Martinez explained.

"Listen to me, I came here to convince my people to do the right thing!" Sophia said.

_"You've done nothing but lie! I'm done. Surrender."_

"So you can lock us up forever? I can't do that."

_"You have ten minutes. If we counter any enemy resistance before then, I'll make you regret leaving wherever you came from."_ Martinez threatened, hanging up.

* * *

"The president is doing this to us."

Thomas was handing out big guns to some of the guys around.

So, he looked a bit shocked when he saw a sixteen year old with brown eyes and dark hair step up. "Give me one."

"What-?" Thomas blinked, remembering her from the hospital.

"Give me a fucking gun," Leah demanded. "I'm going to protect my sister. _Give me_ _a_ _gun_." she explained.

Thomas stared, his dark pretty eyes finally nodding. "Alright." he handed her one. "You know how to use it?" he asked.

"I'm in ROTC." Leah told him.

"What's that?" Thomas asked.

"It- nothing..." Leah stepped back.

"It's alright," Thomas said quietly. "Nothing is going to happen to us." he assured.

Leah nodded, making her wonder why Nicole had seemed afraid-? Of him?

She flinched when she saw their familiar red haired leader arise towards them.

"Martinez is doing this because of you!" Sophia came up and yelled. "Listen, you're in control of whoever is running the portal, have them get us out of here." she suggested.

"How do I know if I give you the portal you won't use it against us?" Thomas asked.

"It's the only way," Sophia said. "Please."

Wondering why they were talking about portals and stuff, Leah checked her gun, seeing it was loaded, and then cocked it. Any fuckin' SWAT or police force came as a threat to her or her sister..._POP_.

Michael ran up, "We got troops everywhere. Not in uniform but they're U.S. military and my guess, special forces." he announced.

"How can you tell?" Sophia asked.

"Tactical formations, the way they move," he described.

As Leah was going back downstairs, she recognized Leila Buchanan- blue eyes and curly brown-blond hair, as she was going up.

They shared a look, but didn't stop.

* * *

Sophia put the man in charge of their portal on speaker. "Martinez has us cornered, I need you to use the portal to get us out of here." she told him.

_"How many people?"_

"One hundred ninety-one."

_"That's impossible."_

"Find a way."

_"Do you know much fuel that requires?"_

"How long will it take for you to transport us out?"

_"Hours."_

"We have five minutes."

_"I can't."_

"...if you can't use the fuel to transport us, tell me what you CAN use it for?"

* * *

One of the Sleepers heard an officer drilling into an upper window, so he raised his gun and shot him.

_"No!"_ Sophia said, sounding horrified.

Everyone in the church started to freak out.

General Armbruster alerted Martinez of what happened. "Hence the operation." the President decided.

"Wait! There's still two minutes left!" Simon said quickly, afraid of what would happen to his people otherwise.

Sterling looked at him, an odd look on his face at Simon's reaction...

"Sophia's on line one." a woman announced.

_"The shooting wasn't supposed to happen." _Sophia said.

"I don't care." Martinez replied.

_"I'm warning you, Elias."_

"You're warning ME?"

_"Do not engage; you will regret it."_

Martinez hung up on Sophia, just as Michael came up. "They're coming close, what do you want us to do?" he asked.

Sophia looked down below at all of her people, who were all looking up at her with pleading expressions.

"...tell him to take it down." she decided.

* * *

When the white house began to shake violently, everyone helped to evacuate Martinez but- finally reaching the hall it had stopped.

It was only a matter of seconds before finding out that during the so called 'earthquake', the Washington Monument had collapsed to the ground.

It had already reached the news, showing footage of the tall tower dropping completely.

"Tell your men to stand down." Martinez told General Armbruster.

"Mr. President, Sophia's on line three."

Silence.

_"You've forced my hand, Elias. I want three buses delivered to the church, the windows blacked out and a fully fueled C5 cargo jet waiting at LA X. Failure to comply will result in the destruction of your capital."_

"Listen to me..." Martinez said, desperate.

_"No, you listen. You have no idea what we're capable of. Washington D.C. will be destroyed. Countless people will be hurt. Killed. And the attacks will continue until you let us go."_ Sophia sounded very deadly. _"You have one hour."_

* * *

Thomas entered the room Sophia was in. "I know how hard this must have been for you." he said.

"Don't say that. Don't pretend you understand me." Sophia said in a sob-angry tone. "Everything I've worked for is gone."

"We didn't have any other choice. Diplomacy wasn't an option." Thomas said.

"No, you took that away."

"_Me?_ Look at _them!_" he pointed at the feds armed outside the windows. "This is who they are! Violence is all they understand."

"You were the one who refused to engage in a peaceful manner." Sophia went stern.

"It's too late for that-"

"You were the one who pushed violent confrontation!"

"All through history humans have proved to be wild and hostile! For some reason, you're determined to blame me for this," Thomas realized. "I'm not perfect. And I've made some mistakes. But I've worked hard for sixty-six years to reunite our people."

"You only brought them together for fear. You expect me to be thankful for that?" Sophia asked. "I'm sorry but I did expect more from you."

Trying not to look hurt, Thomas shook his head. "Change is never easy. There's always a cost."

"Leadership requires discipline." Sophia reminded. "Sacrifice. The ability to make people believe in anything. No one said anything about easy."

Thomas looked down at the floor, making Sophia put a hand on his cheek, and then pulling him into a longing and well needed mother and son hug**.**


	12. Just Another Family Torn

"Mr. President? Could I have a moment with you? Alone?" Sterling asked.

"Sir? What do we do?" General Armbruster asked.

"...give them the buses." President Martinez decided.

Pulling Martinez away, Sterling's voice went low. He explained how when he was at Inostranka, after being tortured and nearly killed by Thomas, he'd thought he'd look familiar somehow...and then he remembered.

"The hospital, where Simon was recovering."

"Okay?"

"So, we had Simon scanned, to see if he was human. There was a video surveillance of Thomas, in a lab coat. He posed as a tech in the blood bank."

"He switched out Simon's DNA for human blood..." Martinez realized.

"Simon Lee is one of _them_." Sterling stated.

Minutes later, as Simon was on the phone with Sophia, he had _no_ idea he was being scanned, the phone call being decrypted.

It would only be soon when they would hear that Sophia's ultimatum to Martinez was a bluff, and that they were completely defenseless after the Monument attack.

* * *

"Are we gonna die? Like when we were sick?" Lena asked.

"No, your guy that you seem to like over me said we were gonna be okay." Leah explained.

Lena raised an eye. "What?"

"Finally got a close up of him. Don't know what you see in the guy to make you leave in the middle of night to go _join_ him." Leah said.

Lena folded her arms. "Whatever. He _is_ good looking."

"Hell _no!_ He's freaky looking!"

The sisters jabbed each other, drawing Nicole's attention. "Stop it. Don't make matters worse."

"What matters?" Lena asked.

"Everyone is already freaked out. Don't add to it." their mother said.

"According to Sophia, are they really sending us buses?" Lena asked.

"Unless they don't want anything else destroyed, they will." Nicole said.

"What?"

"Sophia made the Washington Monument collapse." Nicole announced.

Both of the sisters were wide-eyed.

* * *

When nighttime came, Sophia addressed everyone as she saw the buses arrive.

"I know that you're all afraid." she laid hands on Leila, and the sisters, to comfort them a little. "But right now we must stay calm. We have to show Martinez and his soldiers that we are true to our word! Ignore their guns. Ignore their ignorance! We are in this together. We will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever."

The sisters glanced at each other.

"There are three buses. David is in charge of the first. Michael the second. Thomas the third. It is time."

"Girls, I want you on Michael's bus." Nicole whispered. "I'm going on David's to make sure the others will be alright." she explained. The girls nodded, but Lena stepped back and whispered to her sister.

"Pshh. I'm going on Thomas's bus."

Leah rolled her eyes. "You're solo then."

"What-? Seriously?" Lena asked.

"Yeah. I don't like that guy. I'll do as Mom said." Leah gave her sister a hug, "See ya' when we arrive...wherever it is we'll arrive at." she said.

Lena nodded, and everyone in the church slowly exited.

As Leila got on her father's bus, Leah was right behind her, and then sat with her. "Hey. You alright?" she asked.

Leila nodded. "You?"

Leah shrugged, "Not sure what the hell's really going on, but I'm good for now." she said, managing to make Leila smile.

The buses drove off.

* * *

"None of the troops are pursuing." David reported through walkie.

"Thank you David," Sophia said through walkie.

"Radio Sophia," Thomas said. "Tell her no sign of pursuit from the rear."

Isabel did nothing with the walkie.

"Do it!"

"We were so _close_..." she said in a hoarse voice.

Thomas took the walkie, ignoring her.

Lena was sat in the seat across from her, behind Thomas, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

* * *

They heard when Sophia said she had been bluffing.

"Take them out. By all means necessary." Martinez ordered, leaving the tech room.

"Sir-" Sterling said.

"Do it." Martinez declared.

Soon, choppers loaded with rockets were headed for the buses.

"David, up ahead." the driver pointed.

"Thomas, Sophia," David said into the walkie. "We spotted a chopper."

"Damn it," Thomas muttered. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Sophia suggested they get a hold of Gerard, the man running the portal. "See if there's anything they can do."

"How could Martinez put Washington at risk?" Michael asked, making Leila and Leah look over at him.

"He knows," Sophia realized. "Somehow he knows..."

* * *

"This ends _now_." Martinez said.

Blake looked down.

Simon tried not to look terrified.

The chopper pilot sent out a missile.

It aimed down straight for the first bus in front, David's bus- making it _explode_.

Everyone on the other two buses started to freak. "What can you do?" Thomas asked on the phone.

_"I have enough for one bus. I can lock onto your location now." _Gerard explained._  
_

Lena was trembling, and then remembered...

_"There are three buses. David is in charge of the first. Michael the second. Thomas the third. It is time."_

_"Girls, I want you on Michael's bus." Nicole whispered. "I'm going on David's to make sure the others will be alright."_

"No. _No._ NO! MOOOOOM!" Lena screamed at the top of her lungs.

On Michael's bus, Leah was already breaking out into sobs. Leila put her hands on the teen. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." she said.

_"Mom...!"_ Leah cried.

But Lena was shrieking enough to make Isabel sit over with her to calm her.

"There's no way out. It's over, Thomas." Sophia said through walkie.

"No! Nothing's more important than our survival!" he explained how Gerard had enough fuel to transport one bus.

One bus.

"I told him to lock coordinates on you." Thomas said. "I'll get in front to interfere, give the portal time to get ready."

Lena and Leah realized what this exactly meant at the same time.

Sophia's bus was going to be transported, while Thomas's bus would take a missile.

_"Pshh. I'm going on Thomas's bus."_

_Leah rolled her eyes. "You're solo then."_

_"What-? Seriously?" Lena asked._

Leah now regretted ever saying that._  
_

More terror ran through Lena, realizing that now she really _was_ going to die. She saw Isabel crying, and took her hand.

"No, there has to be another way." Sophia argued.

"Leadership is discipline. Sacrifice." Thomas repeated her words.

_"THOMAS!"_

"Get in front of Sophia's bus. NOW." Thomas ordered.

As his bus pulled up next to Sophia's, the two of them gave a heartbreaking glance at each other.

Since the windows were dark, the sisters couldn't see each other. _Their last moments together were during their hug..._

Sophia had tears in her eyes, but Thomas gave her a final smile. "...no...!" she finally said.

As his bus pulled in front, another missile came at them.

Lena closed her eyes and buried her face into Isabel's tear-soaked chest.

Thomas gripped the rail in front of him, showing no fear.

The missile hit...and Thomas's bus exploded.

_"NO...!"_ Sophia screamed.

Leah ran up to the front where she was, the fire's reflection showing in her teary eyes. _"Lena!"_ she grabbed a pole to keep from falling to her knees.

She looked up when she saw a familiar sight- a blue white aura of sorts...and she realized it was the portal.

The bus started to float up, headed straight for the large portal hole.

President Martinez, with wide, confusing and fearful eyes, watched as the bus went through the portal, and disappeared.

* * *

***sniff* R.I.P. Lena, Nicole & Thomas (screw Isabel)...I'm no longer mad at Elias though, due to the finale and such. :'(  
**


	13. I'm Left Alone Somehow

_**Army base in Brazil**_

Thirty-five year old Richard Crace was directing orders when some fellow soldiers came up. "Soldier Crace! You gotta see this."

"What is it?" the dark haired, brown eyed man was led over to a TV where he went wide eyed.

It was showing footage of the Washington Monument collapsing.

"How the hell did-? Shit! My kids are in D.C.!" he remembered. "Give me a phone, now!"

After he was handed a cell, he punched in Nicole's number.

_"The number you have reached has been disconnected."_

"The fuck?" Richard went over to his desk, and grabbed his cell. He went through his contacts until he found her name.

_"The number you have reached has been disconnected."_

Going back up, until he found 'Arlena', he pressed call.

_"The number you have reached has been disconnected."_

"Shit. Shit." Richard said, thinking that his kids were involved with the Monument incident. He went to 'Alea' next, and called it.

It rang.

Relief ran through him, but the panic returned when the phone kept ringing.

_"Hey, you've reached Leah. Leave a message and I'll call you back."_

Richard sighed, "Alea. It's your dad. I just saw the Monument. Are you guys alright? Call me back please." he hung up. He looked towards the TV. "How'd it happen?" he asked.

"President says it was a terrorist attack, probably the same ones who tried to kill him." a soldier explained.

Little would Richard know that the Monument would have been the least of his worries.

* * *

When the bus entered through the portal, both Sophia and Leah were blasted back from the force. Making everything vibrate, most of the people started to cry out.

When it was over, everything was dark, smoke everywhere outside of the bus.

"Where are we?"

"We're safe. This is where we hid our people." Devon explained.

Looking outside, several other Sleepers came up to the bus. As the passengers were exiting, Leah had sat back down in a seat, staring off.

She felt her phone vibrating, but paid no attention. When it vibrated again once, a minute later, she knew it was a voicemail.

But the sixteen year old wasn't moving.

Sitting there alone, all she could think about was her sister, and mother.

* * *

"Sophia," Michael said, "Someone's still on the bus." he nodded. Sophia looked over, and saw Leah sat alone.

"I'll take care of it. Get everyone inside the houses." she got back onto the bus, and went back to where Leah was sat. "Sweetie." she sat next to her. "Leah." she said, trying to get her attention.

But she kept staring straight ahead, no emotion on her face.

_"Dad was just retarded enough to move out of the country to Brazil." _

_"It'll be fun though you know…visiting another country." _

"Leah," Sophia said again. "I know how you're feeling."

_"I just have a bad feeling, that's all." _

_"What…you think we're gonna crash?" _

"You feel helpless. Worthless."

_"We're gonna die!"_

_"No we're not! Lena, stop!"_

"I know you feel that..." Sophia looked down, thinking.

_"Is this a desert? How the fuck did we get here?" _

_"Desert? Whoa..."_

_"Why did the pilot say the helicopters weren't help? "_

_"He said that?"_

"You feel like you could of done something," Sophia decided. "But Leah..."

_"You alright, sis?"_

_"Yeah, are you?"_

"There was nothing you could have done."

_"What's wrong?"_

_"I'm fine...I just never wanna be on an airplane again . I don't wanna be in one. Don't wanna see one. Don't wanna hear one. Don't wanna think of one . And I certainly don't wanna be in anymore friggin' hospitals. "_

_"Yeah. Story of our lives."_

"No matter what, Leah. It happened." Sophia was losing thought as well.

_"Were...were you trying to hit on that guy?"_

_"What-!" _

_"Just kidding."_

_"Good, 'cause I was about to say...that guy looked like he was in his forties or something."_

_"And...weren't you the one who told me that you thought that older men were hot?" _

_"Shut up."_

"President Martinez made his choice. I gave him the chance to let us go free."

_"Do we have any dark chocolate?"_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Hey, that mystery guy from the elevator told the baldy guy it worked for cravings; do we have any?"_

_"Dunno, ask Mom."_

"And he didn't. He chose to...slaughter us. Our innocent people."

_"What do you mean we're aliens?"_

_"I don't know as much as you. All Mom said was that we're not...human." she explained._

_"Then what are we?"_

_"Girls, girls, it's okay."_

_"Who are you?"_

_"My name is Sophia. You could say that...I'm in charge."_

_"In charge of what?"_

_"Of us. Our people."_

"They didn't deserve what happened to them. Not all of them." Sophia was losing an idea of what else to say.

_"You're considering leaving here-? Our home?"_

_"If it keeps everyone safe...then yeah."_

_"Why?"_

_"I don't want anything bad to happen because of that Thomas psycho." _

Leah finally blinked. "You're right," she said in a low and quiet voice. "They didn't."

Sophia nodded.

_"What do you mean she's gone?"_

_"She's nowhere in this house."_

_"You don't mean that she...?" _

"That's why I'm going to carry out my son's request," Sophia admitted. "To bring the rest of our people here."

Leah closed her eyes then.

_"I don't care! You might not care about your daughter, but I do! She's my sister!__ So you go ahead and leave, be afraid of that Thomas guy. If he has Lena, then I'm going with them to stop him, and get her back." _

"Are you really going to do it because your son wanted it? Or because of our _sun?_" Leah asked, eyes opened, but she still looked straight. Thinking of Sophia's son, Leah remembered the last thing she said to him.

_"Give me a fucking gun. I'm going to protect my sister. Give me a gun." _

_"...alright. You know how to use it?"_

_"I'm in ROTC."_

_"What's that?"_

_"It- nothing..."_

_"It's okay. Nothing will happen to us."  
_

"For both of those reasons." Sophia corrected. "Now, it's the only right thing left to do." she said.

Leah shook her head, and stared down into her lap.

_ "Are we gonna die? Like when we were sick?"_

_"No, your guy that you seem to like over me said we were gonna be okay."_

_"What?"_

_"Finally got a close up of him. Don't know what you see in the guy to make you leave in the middle of night to go join him."_

_"Whatever. He is good looking."_

_"Hell no! He's freaky looking!"_

Leah was actually smiling then.

_"Girls, I want you on Michael's bus. I'm going on David's to make sure the others will be alright."_

_"Pshh. I'm going on Thomas's bus."_

_"You're solo then."_

_"What-? Seriously?"_

_"Yeah. I don't like that guy. I'll do as Mom said." _

Leah remembered the hug she gave her. _"See ya when we arrive...wherever it is we'll arrive at." _

But only one had survived.

"I could have saved her..." Leah said. "She...Lena, she...she said she wanted to go on your son's bus."

Sophia stared.

"Had a little crush on him I guess. Our mom told us to go on your bus. But Lena...always a rebel. She said she wanted to go onto Thomas's bus. And...I _let_ her. I let her go." Leah felt the tears coming. "Maybe if I made her stay with me...she would have lived. She didn't deserve..." she couldn't hold it in.

She started to cry, and Sophia put her arms around her. "We _will_ get justice." she promised. "Thomas...Lena...and all of the others. We won't let their deaths be in vain." she assured. But Leah was too upset by then, already erupting into sobs.

The two of them sat there, in the bus seat, for what seemed like an eternity.


	14. You Bury Other Things Too

Simon couldn't help but cry as the video feed confirmed the deaths of his people on David and Thomas's buses.

Blake clearly noticed this, and then went to speak with the President about what to do with him, since they knew he was a Sleeper.

Simon forgot about everyone else in the room. Thomas…David…Nicole he had a history with her…

Arlena. She'd been a cute kid. She didn't deserve to die. None of them did.

Simon left the room abruptly, bumping into a man known as Richard Peel. "Excuse me," Simon apologized.

"Everything okay?" Richard Peel asked, but Simon ignored him and kept walking. When he made it to his office, Martinez and Blake were expecting him to contact Sophia; they were ready to trace the call.

Simon went to call, but he heard a vibrating from under his desk. He knelt down and pulled out the flashing Bluetooth, and put it in his ear.

_"They have your phone tapped. They're waiting for you to contact Sophia. We need to get you out, now."_

Sterling and Martinez watched Simon leave his office on the feed. "He's on the move." Martinez said.

"Looking for another place to make the call," Blake guessed.

Simon continued to follow the man on the phone's instructions, leading him out of the white house. Outside, he ran down the alley that led to the street, where a car was waiting for him. He quickly got in and drove away.

"All terms report," Blake roared through his walkie.

"He's gone, sir," his men replied.

* * *

Martinez and Blake entered the President's room, where Richard Peel and Alaskan Senator Lewis were waiting. "Senator Lewis." Martinez greeted.

When they were all sat, Martinez told the female senator, "The attack on the Monument wasn't from terrorists. That's just our cover-story."

Blake's face now clearly said, _what the hell?_

"It was the Sleepers," Martinez informed.

Now Blake's face said, _ah shit…_

"My God," Senator Lewis said. "Why are you telling me this?"

"We need to uncover the non-terrestrials." Martinez answered.

"…what do you need me to do, Mr. President?" Senator Lewis asked.

"I want to initiate a program, to test the DNA of every American."

Blake's face said, _damn it._

"They're genetically different than us by about one percent. We can spot them out." Martinez added.

"You gave up your job as a doctor when your husband ran for office," Richard Peel reminded. "You had connections with the CDC…"

Blake's face said, _hmmm…_

"We can have the CDC announce that there was a massive outbreak, and everyone needs to be tested for precaution." Senator Lewis offered. "No one would know."

"Can you get this going?" Martinez asked.

"It would take some time," she answered.

"Start it now." Martinez urged. "Here. Start a program to get everyone in the White House tested."

"I support that," Richard Peel chimed.

"Uh…maybe we should discuss this internally before putting this in motion," Blake said, leaning forward.

"The time for discussion is over. Senator, you're running point on this. Report all of your findings directly to me." Martinez ordered.

"Of course, Mr. President." Senator Lewis nodded.

Now Blake's face said, _this sucks._

* * *

Sophia walked up the stairs of the house Thomas had resided in. She found his room, and rummaged through his nightstand, finding photo booth photos of him and Isabel.

Out of grief, she couldn't help but sit on the bed, holding a photo. She started to cry.

Now she knew how Leah felt about her sister.

Downstairs, a while later, that same Leah was sat on a couch, holding Lena's book bag. She'd given it to her moment before they boarded the buses. She didn't have the strength to open the bag yet.

She saw Simon, and he saw her, but they spoke nothing to each other.

Sophia slowly came downstairs, acknowledging everyone. She and Simon shared a sorrowful hug that was much needed.

Leah only listened as Sophia explained about their home planet dying. Simon was in severe shock since he wasn't at the church when this was announced by Thomas.

"I swore an oath. We all did. To refrain from harming anyone on this planet, including the dominant species: humans. I followed that principle for sixty-six years. But after witnessing the slaughter of our people in Los Angeles…" she shook her head with tears brewing her eyes.

"The oath no longer applies," she decided, standing up. "What matters now is that our star has begun to implode; two billion lives are at stake. I'm going to continue Thomas's plan. We will bring _all_ our people here, and make this planet our own."

Simon noticed that Michael didn't look too happy with that idea.

"Even if that means eliminating the others who call this place home." Sophia added.

* * *

That night, Sophia had a fire set up outside, looking up at the stars when Simon joined her. "We knew our sun would die eventually." Simon said quietly.

"And now we must write the next chapter of our history," Sophia said.

"By bringing them here?" Simon said. "Two billion people? Is that even possible?"

"There is a way." Sophia nodded.

"Assuming you're successful, where will you put everyone?" Simon questioned. "There won't be enough room, food, infrastructure due to the human population…"

"I'm considering solutions to that problem," Sophia admitted.

"What kind of solutions?" Simon dared ask.

"Permanent ones." Sophia said coldly. "We need to make room here, Simon." She noticed his fallen expression. "You disagree with my solution." She realized.

"I do," Simon confirmed.

"I appreciate your honesty," Sophia noted. "But we have to do whatever it takes to stop the destruction of our people." she reminded. "You have always been loyal. You're an asset to our people. Do I have your loyalty?" she hoped.

Simon forcefully nodded. _"Yes."_

Later, Simon pulled Michael outside, begging him to leave with him, Leila, and Leah too. "We can save lives," he said. "What kind of world do you want Leila to live in?" he asked.

Michael sighed in defeat. "If we do this, there's no going back."

"I know."

"We'll be labeled traitors forever."

"_I know."_

"We'll go with you," Michael promised.

* * *

Senator Lewis had already started giving reports to the President.

"How are we doing with the pilot program?" he asked.

"I've made everyone in the White House sign to agree to be tested," she informed.

"And?"

"Um…some were harder to convince than others."

"When does the testing begin?"

"A few days. But…you should know there was one person who didn't sign."

"Who?"

"Your wife."

Now Martinez looked at her. "You don't have to test Christina." He said.

"You believe you know why she refused to be tested?"

"Wipe my wife's name off that list."

"Mr. President, you asked me to clean house. And that's what I'm doing."

"_Catherine. Let it go."_

* * *

Simon was putting supplies in the back of his black SUV, looking around the garage cautiously.

Michael approached Simon, so Simon said, "We're all ready…where's Leila and Leah?"

"They're not coming," Michael deadpanned.

"You can't leave them alone here," Simon said worriedly.

"They won't be alone," Michael said.

Simon's mouth dropped open. "Michael…"

"I'm sorry, Simon."

Two men with guns entered the garage. "Step away from the car, Simon." They said.

Simon backed away, putting his hands in the air, until turned around, grabbed the nearest guy's gun, and punched him. The other guy hit him to the ground as the first guy kicked him.

Simon groaned when he heard Sophia walk up in her heels. "Is this your idea of loyalty?" she wondered. "Turning others against me?"

"Sophia, you-"

"You lied to me." She said as he stood up. "This is how a species survives."

"You're talking about killing hundreds of millions of innocent people," Simon choked.

"What about your people?" Sophia reminded. "If you aren't with us, then you're against us."

Simon shook his head. "I'll never go along with human genocide."

"Then today I've lost a second son," Sophia said sadly. "Take him."

A car pulled up as the two men went to shove Simon out to it.

Leila and Leah came out of the same house, watching Simon being taken away. He looked over at the girls for a split second before he was pushed in the back.

"You did the right thing Michael." Sophia said.

"I know." He replied.


	15. Cut Off The Head

Wearing safety glasses and a coat, the man with pretty light eyes and a gray beard pulled out one of the many tubes in the frozen lab chamber. Placing it on a table, he popped one end open to reveal ice in the shape of the tube.

During so, an entire FBI team was outside of the lab. "Remember, we take him alive." the squad leader said.

The man with the ice cut a slice from the ice tube, placed it on a circular tray when he saw the FBI on the security cameras.

So he called Sophia.

_"Yes?"_

"It's Herbert. FBI's coming; they have me surrounded."

_"Stay calm. Send us everything you have right now."_

Herbert went to work on the computer.

_"Listen to me, they can't know what you've been working on. Understand?"_

"Sophia, no."

_"Not a trace."_

"Sophia I've worked so hard. Please, I'm so close."

_"I'm sorry Herbert. I know what you have to do."_

Hanging up, Herbert let free gas in the lab, and then ran out to another ice-tube lab, to do the same. Returning back to the first one, he saw the FBI appear at the door, breaking in.

Doing one last thing on the computer, he stepped back as they came in. _"You're under arrest! Get on the ground now_!"

Herbert watched them get closer, and then turned for the large glass window.

He dove right through the glass, and fell to his death.

* * *

The next morning, Sophia addressed some of her people on how she had to make some 'changes' so she could bring their 2.5 billion people to earth. She also added about a 'weapon' that would help the process much faster. "Herbert Mills was close to finding that weapon but the government found him, but he killed _himself_ to avoid capture."

Sophia pulled out a flash drive, containing the info that Herbert sent to her. "Aaron, you're in charge of analyzing what he sent."

"I'll get right on it." the slightly long haired, dark eyed man promised, taking the flash drive and leaving.

One suggested that if the government could find Herbert, they could find them too.

"I've thought about that," Sophia said. "And I think I know a way to disrupt the government."

"How?" another asked.

"Cut off the head," Sophia stated. Michael looked up at her, knowing what that meant.

"We will take out President Martinez. _Permanently_."

* * *

In the meeting room, Blake Sterling explained about Herbert, while the president was looking at pictures of the guy, after he committed suicide to avoid capture.

"He was in a lab; what was he doing there?" Martinez asked.

"Not sure. Before he jumped, he engaged a protocol that destroyed most of the evidence there, but we know he was studying ice core samples." Sterling explained.

"Ice core samples?" Martinez repeated. "Any idea why?"

"We assume it has something to do with their goal, to bring their people here." General Armbruster input.

"We can't assume anything," Martinez said. "The attack on the monument, and our counterstrike, we are at _war_ with the non-terrestrials. This is a war we must win."

"...maybe it's a war we shouldn't fight alone." Vice President Jarvis said.

Everyone looked at him.

Jarvis suggested that they tell other world leaders about the aliens' existence, so they could have more support for their 'war'.

Sterling only raised an eye.

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." Martinez said lowly. That was when Richard Peel, with frontal-poofy dark brown hair and eyes came in and whispered to the president.

_"Senator Lewis has asked to see you. Says it's urgent."_

* * *

When Vice President Jarvis was in his office, his cell rang. "Hello?"

_"Vice President Jarvis?"_

"Yes? Who is this? How'd you get this number?"

_"Not important. It's Sophia. Don't try and trace the call."_

"The hell I won't." Jarvis went for his door.

_"Don't bother, it won't work. Are you alone?"_

"What-? Yes, I'm alone. What the hell is this about? You expect us to have a conversation? You murdered innocent people!"

_"President Martinez forced my hand. If he negotiated, there would have been no casualties. It was his actions. Not mine, and people were hurt."_

Jarvis sat down. "Why are you calling me?"

_"We both know that if this continues, more people will die."_

"That's a threat."

_"It's a plea. We just want to avoid it."_

"...avoid it how?" Jarvis asked.

_"By working together. I'd like to meet you in person, to talk about it."_

"Working together? What are you talking about?"

_"I'm talking about making you president."_ Sophia announced.

* * *

After Leah had finally awoken, and cleaned up for the day, she saw that her phone was gone.

_What the hell?_

Leah left her room and went downstairs, where she saw Leila walking around the kitchen.

Luis, a big African-American was guarding the door outside. They weren't going anywhere. "I know how to get us out of here." Leila said quietly, grabbing the large knife she cut an apple with.

"What-?" Leah asked. Her brown eyes widened when she saw Leila cut her hand, then dropping the knife. She grimaced in pain, and then gave Leah a look.

She understood. "Luis!" Leah yelled. "Luis! Help!"

Barging inside, Luis ran in to see Leila's hand. "It just slipped," Leila lied. "I was trying to cut that apple-"

"It's okay," Luis put a rag on her hand. "We have a medic, she'll take care of you." the duo, along with Leah, exited the house and into another.

Leah watched Leila carefully; _what was she planning?_

* * *

After the medic bandaged her up, Leila asked if she could stay for a bit, lying about nausea. When the medic left, she looked at Leah. "I saw Simon in the next room, go talk to him."

"What? Why?" Leah asked.

"Just do it. I'll go with you." Leila said.

Giving her a glare, the sixteen year old slipped out of the room, looked for anyone, and then slipped into the next, where Simon was strapped to a bed, his head bandaged.

Leila came in seconds later. "Simon? Can you talk?"

"What do you want?" he asked, annoyed.

"Why were you gonna tell the government where we are?" Leila asked him.

"Sophia, is bringing all of our people here. But she has to make room for them. It means genocide for humans."

Leah blinked. She remembered Sophia promising to bring them here, but never about having to _kill_ anyone to make it happen...

"There's seven billion people on earth, that's impossible." Leila said.

"It's already begun. I saw maps, in Thomas's house, of places in Siberia. There's some kind of weapon there. A woman's name had been written down, Irena Bogdanoff . You need to call, and warn everyone." Simon explained.

"They took my cell." Leah told him.

"I have nothing, either." Leila added.

"Sophia's lieutenants. They have phones. Call the authorities. You need to warn them." Simon stopped upon hearing voices. _"Go."_

Leila and Leah went for the door.

* * *

**After being hellbent on avenging her sisters death, how will Leah take in about the genocide plot? Work with Leila to bust out, or stay 'loyal' to Sophia?**


	16. Chasing The Dark Together

After having a dangerous meeting with Sophia, she assured Vice President Jarvis that his acts to kill Martinez would be clean, and untraceable. Sophia returned to her people, where Aaron finally analyzed the flash drive with Herbert's information.

"Mills used soil frozen in the ice cores to help pinpoint the location of the weapon." he pointed out the place in Siberia.

"Thank you Aaron. We're close to finding it; so close." Sophia saw her phone ring, "Mr. Vice President."

_"I've thought about your proposal."_

"Good."

_"I love this country."_

"I know, that's why I came to you."

_"I couldn't live with myself knowing I could of saved the deaths of millions. I don't see any other way, but to work together."_

A glimmer of hope flashed in Sophia's expression. "You made the right decision. Your people will thank you one day."

_"By God, I pray that you're right."_ Jarvis broke.

"Follow my instructions and by this time tomorrow, you'll be leader of the free world." Sophia explained.

Jarvis hung up, and sat quietly at his desk.

* * *

"You're crazy," Leah said, staring out into the dark night, hearing the thunder crack.

"No," Leila said back. "You heard what Simon said. We have to get out of here."

"Then _you_ go," Leah said. "I'm staying."

"Why?" Leila asked. "Why stay? You wanna watch everyone die? That's what will happen!" she exclaimed.

"I don't care! They killed them!" Leah yelled. "My mom and my sister! They're dead because of it!"

Leila stood straight. "Think about your sister," she said. "Would she want you to help with the genocide?"

In a flash, Leah rammed Leila against the wall, pinning her. "Don't talk about her like you knew her."

"...but _you_ know her," Leila said, not using past tense to make her more angry. "You know her. Would she want you to do this?"

Leah stopped, remembering the talk she and Sophia had on the bus.

She looked down, her dark hair falling in her face. "Lena...she wouldn't want anyone to die." she choked. She released her hold on Leila. "I'm sorry..." she moaned. "...okay. Okay. I'll go." she agreed.

Leila nodded towards the door, where Luis was outside. "You ready?"

Leah nodded.

* * *

After inviting Luis in for a drink, Leila offered to take his jacket. When he gave it to her, she placed it on the couch.

Not before taking his phone and placing it in her pocket first.

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom real quick." she announced, pacing upstairs.

As Leila locked her door, Leah was still in the kitchen, sink on, washing random dishes.

_Please work_, she begged. _Don't let her get caught_, she looked at Luis and smiled a bit. "You doing okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and shrugged, "I'm alright, I guess." she watched him pour the wine into two glass cups.

Now she wished she was five years older, that drink sure looked good right now.

She watched Luis head over to his coat. "Um..." she tried to say, to stop him. She flinched when she watched him fly up the stairs.

Shit! What was she supposed to do? Take on Luis? He was twice her size!

Maybe if it was two on one...

Leah turned off the sink. _"Open the damn door!"_ she heard Luis yell to Leila. By the time Leah made it upstairs, he broke the door down. He tackled her on the bed, "Give me the phone!" he tried for it.

Leah ran over and helped Leila flip him off the bed. Leila kicked his face, and went to run, but Luis grabbed her and rammed over on the nightstand. Leah grabbed the fallen lamp and smacked his head with it.

"Come on!" she grabbed the phone and helped Leila up, then giving her the phone.

They sped downstairs, outside, and down the street of the dark night.

* * *

Hiding behind some trees and bush, Leila made a phone call.

_"Hello?"_

"Sean!"

_"Leila?"_

"Sean there's so much to say but I can't right now." Leila said.

_"What's going on?"_ Sean asked.

"They wanna take over."

_"What? Who?"_

"My father's people. Even if it means killing everyone. She's the one responsible for blowing up the Washington Monument. I was there when she gave the order."

_"Who are you talking about?"_ Sean asked.

"Sophia," Leila said. "Thomas. Thomas, her son, _died_. And she's trying to save her people."

Leah grimaced, trying not to remember the bus explosions.

"They're looking for some kind of weapon in Siberia." Leila repeated Simon's words. "A place near Murmansk."

_"Okay just, tell me where you are-"_

"I don't know where I am. Forget about us. You have to stop her, I also have a woman's name, Irena Bogdanoff. She may be able to-" she cut off when someone grabbed her from behind.

It was Michael.

"Where did you get this?" he asked. "Leila, tell me!"

"We know what Sophia's trying to do." she said sternly.

"Who did you call? What did you tell them?" Michael demanded. He looked at Leah. "Who did you call?"

But the sixteen year old only glared.

"How could you be a part of this?" Leila asked.

"I don't know what kind of damage you two just did, but if Sophia finds out, I won't be able to protect you." Michael told them.

That made the girls get wide-eyed. _What exactly would Sophia do-?_

* * *

Vice President Jarvis pulled out the little ziplock bag, with the tea sweetener replacement. Instead of sugar, it was replaced with a substance that would fatally harm president Martinez.

Entering the meeting room, he went over to the table, where he spotted the President's cup. Swiftly, he took the real sweetener and replaced with the replica.

That was when everyone walked in. "Morning Mr. President." Jarvis greeted casually.

"Alright, let's get started." Martinez said.

Jarvis managed a glance over at the cup with the fake sweetener.


	17. Down With The Sickness

_"Who did you call?"_ Michael grabbed his daughter, demanding an answer.

"Sean." Leila said angrily.

Now he was pissed. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him everything!" she yelled. "What you're looking for in Siberia, what Sophia's trying to do-"

_"They took my phone!"_

Leah whipped over to see Luis run up to them. "No, Luis, it's alright!" Michael said.

"They made a call to the outside!" Luis yelled.

"No, she called her boyfriend." Michael assured.

"They called 911! When I found out, they attacked me!" Luis continued. "This is bad! They could of told them _who_ we are. _Where_ we are! We need to take them to Sophia now."

"No, no, that's not necessary." Michael argued.

"We are as good as dead!" Luis said. "Sophia needs to know what happened."

Michael looked distraught. "I know..."

Leah and Leila shot him fearful looks.

* * *

Vice President Jarvis watched with fearful eyes, as President Martinez poured the fake sweetener into his coffee.

"We need to know what Mills was doing, it's significant." he said. "Hopefully it'll lead back to Sophia."

Jarvis watched him stir in the sweetener.

He took a drink out of his own cup to calm down.

"I can work with that." Martinez said, finally taking a drink.

Jarvis watched it all. His leg started to shake. While speaking, Martinez got up from his seat and stopped. "Ah..." he closed his eyes and held his temples. "Ah..." he managed to see Jarvis, and his fearful look.

He knew he did this.

Keeling over, he knocked his cup to the floor with him. Everyone freaking out.

_"Mr. President!"_

* * *

In the hospital, Richard Peel was on the phone in the hallway. Sterling was still, while Jarvis paced back and forth.

A male doctor with strawberry-blond hair came up with charts. "How is he?" Sterling asked.

"Not good," he said. "There was bleeding in his brain. I'm afraid the president suffered a stroke. If we can't control the bleeding, we may have to go in."

"Surgery?" Sterling guessed.

"He was in perfect health." Richard reminded.

"We're doing our best. Excuse me." the doctor said, turning to leave.

* * *

"Blake. Blake?" Richard said outside, as the press was being held back. "We need to talk."

"Walk with me." Sterling said, leading them away.

When alone, Richard reminded of the protocol, should the president be unable to lead.

"I read the damn constitution." Sterling said. "We cannot let the vice president take office. Jarvis may be responsible for what happened to Elias."

Richard stopped. "Excuse me?"

"You don't know all the facts." Sterling said. "There are things the president knows about Jarvis, what he's capable of."

"What things?" Richard asked.

Blake hesitated. "This isn't the first time Jarvis has tried to eliminate the president." he told him. "The airplane assassination attempt..."

Richard had to remember. "You think he was involved?"

"Oh, I know he was." Sterling confirmed. "He confessed." he said. "You have to help me stop this succession, before we appoint a murderer in the white house."

After a moment, Richard Peel agreed to help.

* * *

Walking down the dawn road, Leah and Leila were tense, in between Luis and Michael.

"I'm sorry Michael, I really am." Luis said. "You should of never brought your daughter here."

"Nothing we can do about it now..." Michael grabbed the back of Luis' head, and shoved his face onto the back of a car. The girls jumped back as Michael knelt down, and slit this throat.

Leila gasped, but Leah remained wide-eyed. "What's done is done." Michael said. "Grab his legs."

After a moment, the girls knelt down to help.

When the morning came, they had wrapped Luis' body in a black bag. Leah was helping Leila clean the blood in the hall they dragged him in.

That was when there was a knock on the door.

_"Michael? It's Sophia."_

"Oh shit." Leah muttered.

Leila grabbed the bloody rags, and stowed them in a cupboard in the living room. Leah gave a quick glance at her, and then opened the door.

"Leah." Sophia appeared to be shocked.

"Hi." Leah greeted.

"Hi." Sophia said back. "Why are you at Michael's?"

"Oh...I was visiting with Leila." Leah lied. "I got bored..."

"I see. Is Michael here?" Sophia forced herself in.

"Um, yeah." Leah looked back to see a splotch of blood still on the floor. "But he's-"

"Sleeping!" Leila put her foot over to hide the blood. "Or I think he is."

"Wake him up for me." Sophia ordered.

"He said he didn't wanna be disturbed." Leila told her.

Sophia went up face to face to her. "Wake him up. Or I will."

"Is something wrong?" Leila asked. "Sophia-" she watched her go to the stairs.

"Michael?" she called up, then proceeded to the kitchen.

Leah glanced at the door, thinking of making a run for it if they were caught.

"Sophia?" Michael appeared, wearing a blue shirt to cover up his bloodied one.

"Dad?" Leila said. "I thought you were asleep?"

"Oh, I couldn't sleep." he lied. "Is everything okay?"

"Can we talk outside?" Sophia suggested.

"Sure," Michael followed her to the door.

"Thank you girls." Sophia said, before stepping outside.

As the door shut, Leah sighed loudly. "Damn. That was close."

"Yeah." Leila said, short of breath.

"You know," Leah started. "You remind me of Lena."

"How?" Leila asked.

"Secret stuff like this." Leah said. "We'd do things like that from our mom, and most of the time we got caught all the time when we were little." she laughed. "You have a sister, right?"

"Yeah, Samantha..." Leila said, still feeling afraid.

* * *

Learning that Irena Bogdanoff was actually the name of a Russian ship, Sean Walker and Vicky Roberts waited until sunset, before proceeding with caution onto the ship.

Where the weapon Sophia was looking for, was at.

Upon hitting the ship, Sean held out a gun and went for the door to the inside. No one was in the captain's deck. No one.

Vicky entered from the other side. "Where the hell are the crew?" Sean asked. Vicky gave an 'I don't know' look.

Back outside, they found another door that went inside the actual ship. "Ready?" Vicky grabbed the latch.

"Wait, don't." Sean stopped. "I think I see someone inside."

"What?" Vicky asked. She peered in the small window to see a man, dead. "What happened to him?"

"Only one way to find out." Sean said, spotting radiation suits.

* * *

Suits on, they entered the boat interior to see several others dead on the ground. Seeing stairs, they decided to go down.

Seeing blood on a door, Sean opened it. He saw more guys on the stairs, also dead. Blood everywhere.

They followed the trail of dead bodies. Which led them to a very much older body, laid on a table.

"His uniform is old." Vicky noticed. "He was a soldier." she realized. "They carved his chest open." she saw the skin cut and torn away on his chest. "Why?" she asked.

Sean finally looked. "Get to his lungs." he noted. "They took his lungs."

All of a sudden they heard a thud from upstairs.

"We're not alone." Vicky realized.


	18. Us Or Them

As Blake Sterling was sat in his office, he saw his reflection off the coffee tin.

Which led him to glimpse at his sleeve. Remnants of Martinez's coffee were on the edge of his shirt.

It could contain the substance Jarvis used.

Sterling and Richard Peel saw in the surveillance video, Jarvis switching sweeteners.

The Vice President has suspected them being suspicious of him, so he had some men go into the meeting room and clean up the coffee spill, where the substance was.

But now Blake had it right on his sleeve, and hadn't noticed it until now.

* * *

The next morning, all the White House personnel were gathered in the presidents room.

Raymond Jarvis came in last. The Chief Justice shook his hand. "Mr. Vice President, are you ready to be sworn in?"

"I am." Jarvis said.

"Please place your left hand on the Bible." the Chief Justice held out the book. Jarvis did. "Raise your right hand, and repeat after me."

Jarvis did.

"I, state your name."

"I, Raymond Theodore Jarvis."

"Do solemnly affirm, that I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States."

Jarvis repeated.

"And will do the best of my ability to preserve, protect and defend, the constitution of the United States."

Jarvis repeated.

"So help me God." the Chief Justice said.

"So _help_ me God." Jarvis said with a stern face.

"Mr. President..." the Chief Justice shook his hand.

"Thank you Chief Justice." Jarvis shook back.

During these moments, 'former' President Martinez had lapsed into a coma.

* * *

In the meeting room, Jarvis stood up to acknowledge the others. "We are at war." he said. "It's time to be realistic. Sophia and her people have a lot of power. Weapons that they will use that we cannot understand and will not defend against. If we want to survive, we need to change strategy."

"Meaning what?" Sterling asked.

Jarvis glared, then focused on the others. "Meaning we will attempt to negotiate with Sophia and her people. To make peace."

"What?" Sterling asked in disbelief.

"Don't you think we're past the point of negotiation?" General Armbruster asked.

"No. I don't." Jarvis said clearly. "Tell all military personnel who are tracking Sophia and her people, to cease and desist." he ordered.

"You can't be serious." Sterling said. "We still have no idea what they may be planning."

"And whose fault is that?" Jarvis asked seriously.

Sterling's and Armbruster's faces fell.

* * *

After being summoned, Michael went into the house where Sophia was, sat in a kitchen chair.

"This morning, Simon attacked Carlos." she told him.

Michael sighed. "He'll need to moved to a more secure location."

"No." Sophia said. "I was hoping that Simon would change his views. And we'd be able to welcome him back but...it's clear now, that will never happen." she explained. "He needs to be taken care of." she announced.

Michael's mouth dropped. "You want him _killed_-?"

"He was going to turn us in. Can you imagine what that would do to us now?" Sophia asked.

Now Michael looked a little sad, from this predicament. "Will you help me?" she asked him.

"Why me?" he asked back.

"You've always been loyal." Sophia reminded. "Michael, you've been able to set aside your attachments."

"My attachments?" Michael repeated.

Sophia stared down. "You've never let your feelings of your family get in the way of what needs to be done..." she explained. Then she smiled.

Now Michael looked afraid.

"You will do this for me." Sophia didn't state it a question.

"Yes." Michael said, trying not to show hesitation.

_Could he really kill Simon-?_

* * *

"You sure this is a good place?" Leah asked.

"Yeah," Leila said. "It's woods. Who comes here anyway?"

"True..." Leah scratched her head with her index finger. "We should get back."

"Yeah, okay." Leila followed her back to their current house.

Entering inside, they saw Michael in the kitchen. "We found a place to bury Luis." Leila told him. "About a mile in the woods."

"The ground's soft," Leah added. "And there's no footprints."

"No one saw you?" Michael asked them.

"We were careful." Leila assured.

"We'll wait until tonight, I'll be back." Michael decided, leaving the room.

"We can bury Luis but what are you gonna do about everyone else?" Leila asked him. "How many innocent people does Sophia plan to kill?"

Leah had a though. "Is there gonna be anyone left at all?"

"Not now, girls." Michael said unhappily.

"You know it's wrong." Leila said.

"Our people have nowhere to go." Michael reminded.

"So it's okay to kill everyone else?" Leila realized.

"I don't like it as much as you do, but it's us or them." Michael explained.

And with that, he left.

* * *

When the lab results returned, Sterling learned that there was an unknown substance in the coffee.

"It's strange." the lab tech told him. "As far as I know, we don't even have the science to create this substance."

Hearing that, Sterling received a thought.

Jarvis...must be working...with _Sophia_.

* * *

When night came, Simon had been strapped to a chair, when he heard footsteps.

"What are you doing here, Michael?" Carlos asked.

"Sophia wants me to take care of things. You should go." Michael explained.

After reluctance, Carlos did.

"So...Sophia sent you to do her dirty work." Simon realized quietly.

Michael whipped out his pistol, aimed and ready. Simon looked desperate. "Michael-"

_Boom._

"We gotta get you out of here." Michael said.

Simon could hardly breathe. He wasn't shot-?

Looking back, he saw that Michael shot the wall behind him.

_Holy shit..._

* * *

After tying up Carlos, Michael ordered Simon to get Leah and Leila, and meet him in the northern part of the woods of the development homes.

In their house, Leah kept watch out the window, when she saw Simon. "He's here."

She and Leila went outside to meet him. "Michael said to meet us in the woods." Simon reminded. "Let's go."

Leah strapped on her backpack that was once Lena's. It was all she had now of her sister.

Hitting the woods, the trio made way through the thick darkness and brush. Reaching the rendezvous, they were alone.

"Where's my dad?" Leila asked, looking around.

"He said he'd meet us here." Simon told her.

Leah glanced around. Michael wouldn't rat them all out, would he-?

"We can't wait much longer." Simon realized. That was exactly when Michael appeared.

"Dad!" Leila ran and hugged him, full of relief.

_"There!"_

Leah turned around to see lights from afar. "Shit."

"The perimeter fence is straight ahead." Michael pointed. The quad took off running again.

Reaching an open area, others on a hill spotted them, and began to shoot.

Michael used his gun to shoot back. "Go, go, go!" he ushered the other three back. Simon and the girls took off without him.

Then they reached the fence, which would lead out of the community homes.

Seconds later, Michael was with them. And Leah spotted blood on his lower stomach.

"Dad!" Leila shrieked. Michael had been shot. "No!" she cried as he sank to the ground.

"Leila...there's the vile in my pocket." Michael managed to say. Simon pulled out the small container of substance. "Get it to the president..." Michael said.

"No, Dad. No." Leila kept saying.

"Go Leila. Just go..." Michael pressed, looking pale now.

Simon heard voices. "We gotta go."

"No," Leila said. "I'm not leaving him."

"Leila-" Leah said.

"Leah," Leila said back. Their blue and brown eyes locked. "You go. Do it for your sister. For Lena." she urged.

Tears sprung, Leah nodded. "Okay." she stood up again.

"I'm not leaving him," Leila told Simon. "He needs help."

Simon looked so confused on what the hell to do next. "We'll take the vile to the president." Leah assured.

Finally, Simon got up and went for the fence. Both he and Leah gripped the bars as they heaved themselves up, and jumped over to the other side.

Leah looked at Leila one last time, before following Simon as fast as she could.


	19. Desperate Measures

It was a _long_ drive from California to D.C.

After getting a phone, Leah dialed a crap load of numbers. "Who are you calling?" Simon asked, looking over at her with caution.

"My dad," she said. "I have to tell him about my mom and sister." she explained.

"Who is he?" Simon asked, focusing back on the road.

"His name's Richard." she said, dialing more numbers.

"Richard?" Simon repeated. "Richard what?"

"Crace-?" Leah named. "You know him?"

"Oh. No." Simon sighed. "I was thinking of another Richard." he said, remembering Peel.

"Ah," Leah put the phone to her ear. "Um, he'll be asking questions. Can I tell him about...what we are?"

Simon glanced at her. "Do you trust him?"

"Yeah. He's an army guy in Brazil." Leah told him.

"...okay. Go ahead." Simon decided.

"Thanks." Leah said, waiting for a response on the other line.

After being redirected about five times, she finally got through to her father. _"Hello?"_ Richard greeted casually.

Leah bit her lip. "...Dad?"

_"Alea-?"_ he gaped. _"Are you alright?"_

"Yeah," she said quietly.

_"Oh thank God,"_ Richard breathed. _"Is your sister okay? I saw the Monument. Was it terrorists?"_

Leah stared out the window. "It wasn't terrorists."

Simon looked at her nervously. The wind through her window was lightly making her long dark hair move around. _"Then who did it?"_ Richard asked.

"...it was my people." Leah stated.

_"Your people?"_ Richard repeated.

"Dad..." Leah moaned, tears sprung.

_"What's wrong?"_ he asked.

"Mom and Lena are dead." Leah told him clearly, then rubbing her eyes.

_"...what...?"_ Richard said. _"What...what do you mean?"_

"There was an acc- no," she decided. "They were killed."

_"No,"_ she heard him start to cry. _"Who? Why?"_

"Because we're different," Leah cried. "Freaks."

_"You're not a freak, that's not why-"_

"I'M NOT HUMAN, DAD! NEITHER WAS MOM AND LENA!" she sobbed.

After a moment of silence, Richard said, _"I know."_

Leah's brown eyes were wide. "What?"

_"I know you're different,"_ Richard restated. _"Your mother told me after you were born."_ he explained.

"Oh..." Leah sniffled.

_"...why did your people destroy the monument-?"_ he asked then.

"Our leader was pissed." Leah said.

_"Pissed-? That's...where are you now?"_ Richard asked.

"Safe. With a friend." Leah said, looking back at Simon.

_"Trusted friend?"_ Richard hoped.

"Yes." Leah said.

_"...okay, I'm gonna get on a plane, and I'll-"_ Richard started.

"No!" Leah yelled. "Don't get on any plane! Not a single one!"

_"Why?"_ Richard asked.

"Because!" she hissed. "You have to trust me, okay? No planes."

Richard was hesitant. _"Okay. No planes."_

"Good. I have to go." Leah said quietly. "Bye." she hung up before he could stop her.

* * *

Richard put his phone down, running a hand through his brown hair.

_Mom and Lena are dead._

_They were killed._

All of a sudden he snatched his phone and threw it across the room. He went for his desk, throwing off all his papers. _"Fuck!"_ he cried. _"No!"_ he kicked his chair over. Opening his drawers, he tossed out everything on the insides.

Several soldiers came by then. "Crace! What's wrong?" Soldier Poole asked.

_"My daughter and ex-wife are dead!"_ Richard cried. Sobbing now, he fell to his knees in despair.

The soldiers watched, unsure of what to do.

* * *

After 'President' Jarvis fired him, Blake Sterling went home with literally nothing to do.

Reading the newspaper article of how Jarvis was president, whilst dowsing his cigarette, he heard a noise from another room.

He looked up quickly, blue eyes cautious. Reaching for his drawer, he pulled out his gun. Getting up, he went over against the wall, and waited.

Seconds later, a man with dark hair in a black leather jacket was seen. "Freeze." Sterling aimed the gun at the back of his head.

"Hands in the air." he ordered. "Now turn around." as the man did, Blake was shocked. "Simon?"

Now pissed, Blake grabbed Simon's shirt and push-shoved him to the wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't put a bullet in you right now!"

"I can save Martinez's life." Simon managed to say.

Blake scoffed. "I know Sophia used Jarvis to poison the president. Why spare him now?"

"They don't. We do." Simon explained.

"We?" Blake repeated, and he looked over to see Leah, hands raised.

_The girl from the elevator at the hospital-?_ _The girl he saw leave the house with Sophia and Michael-?_

"Don't move." Blake ordered her, then looked at Simon.

"We split with Sophia, for good." Simon told him. "Once I realized what she wants to do...how many people she wants to kill..."

Blake took his gun and stepped back. "I don't believe you."

"I have a vile, an antidote." Simon stepped forward.

"Why should I trust you?" Blake asked. "All you've ever told me is lies."

"It's true. I was framed, why else would I risk coming back here?" Simon said.

"To manipulate me." Blake assumed. "Sophia did it to Martinez. Turns out I'm a bigger fool than him."

"I'm sorry," Simon said. "I did it for good. I still believe we can have peace."

"How?" Blake asked quietly.

"The vile," Leah finally spoke. "Starting with that."

Simon reached for his pocket, and pulled out the small bottle of vile. "You can undo Martinez's problem with this." he explained. "Take it. What motive would I have other than to save him?"

Blake hesitated, but finally took it. "Both of you move away from the window." he ordered.

"What is it?" Leah asked, stepping behind Simon.

"Were you followed?" Blake asked.

"No." Simon said, seeing the car outside.

"Jarvis put a tail on me then." Blake realized.

"Why?" Leah asked.

"Sophia's working with the vice president." Blake told her. "She probably told him to stop you guys before you got to me." he explained.

"How the hell do we get out of here?" Leah demanded.

Blake had his eyes narrowed. "By creating a diversion."


	20. The Infection Must Die

The agents who surrounded Blake's house were ready to go in, when all of a sudden a ton of police cars pulled up.

_"Drop your weapons!"_

_"We're federal agents!"_

_"Drop your weapons!"_

_"We have credential!"_

_"I said drop your weapons!"_

_"You're blowing a CIA operation!"_

_"Last time! Drop your weapons!"_

"...easy," the agents put down their guns. "Check my back left pocket," Agent Mike Garrett told the officer coming towards them. "We're on a covert op." he explained.

The officer whipped the ID from Mike's pocket, "All units, stand down." he ordered. "We had a 911 call about an armed robbery at this address." he told the agent.

"Sonuva...move in!" Mike ordered his men. Bursting inside, they checked every room.

But Sterling, Lee, and the teenage girl were gone.

* * *

"Didn't expect to start the day by stealing a car." Blake said lowly.

Leah snorted. "Yeah."

"We have to assume that Martinez will be heavily guarded," Simon said. "It'll be hard to get the antidote to him."

Not have gotten hardly any sleep from the previous ride from L.A. to D.C., Leah found herself closing her eyes.

"We have only one option," Blake said. "The First Lady."

The president's wife?

"Jarvis probably realizes that too." Simon said.

* * *

_"Christina? It's Blake Sterling."_

"Blake?"

_"We need to talk, but not under these circumstances. Go outside, there's a payphone on the street across from the hospital."_

"Blake, what is it?"

_"Christina...you have to trust me. Jarvis is responsible for what happened to your husband. But I have a way to save him. I'll call you on the payphone in five minutes."_

"Okay, I'm on my way out now." Christina Martinez hung up. Quickly she exited the building, crossing the street with the bodyguards. Soon as she hit the phone booth, it rang. "Blake?"

_"Yes, it's me,"_ he confirmed. _"I have an antidote, a vile, that will help Elias. Now obviously myself or Agent Lee cannot just hand it to you. So, when Jarvis finds out that we talked on your cell, you tell him that I asked to meet you at a warehouse."_ he told her.

"Why?" Christina asked him, glancing out at the bodyguards.

_"So he'll be focused trying to find us. He'll try to pin us at the located warehouse, too distracted to worry about how you'll get the antidote for Elias."_

"How am I getting it?" Christina asked him then.

_"In the gift shop, there will be a girl, a teenager. She'll have it."_ Blake told her.

"What girl? What will she look like?"

_"Uh..."_ Blake said. _"Hair in a ponytail, wearing a hat on backwards."_ he described.

"Okay," Christina said. "Where's the warehouse at?"

* * *

After telling Jarvis the false information, the 'president' was gathered in the meeting room, monitors all set on the building. The warehouse.

"Here we are," Blake said.

Simon exited the car, wearing big sunglasses. He opened the large sliding door, allowing Sterling to drive in.

Seeing them on camera, Raymond Jarvis ordered an air-strike on the building.

"Air strike?" General Armbruster repeated.

"You can't be serious?" Richard Peel asked.

"We are at war, and these men are traitors!" Jarvis reminded them.

"With all due respect, this is wrong." Armbruster told him.

"This is an order!" Jarvis told him.

Armbruster faced him. "Well I cannot follow through with it, sir."

"I'm the President of the United States. I control the military, I control this office. And if you can't follow through with your commander in chief, you can _get the hell out!_" Jarvis yelled.

With that, Armbruster gathered his things, and left the room.

"The airstrike is ready."

"This is an assassination." Peel said quietly.

"Fire when ready." Jarvis ordered.

* * *

Just as the airstrike destroyed the warehouse, blowing it up, Blake and Simon had escaped narrowly. After entering the warehouse earlier, they went for a ground steel door, which led to a ladder, leading down to the sewer.

Enabling their escape.

After the airstrike on the empty building, Leah entered the hospital. Adjusting her ponytail, she turned her Linkin Park hat around backwards. "Excuse me, where's the gift shop?"

After being directed in, she went over towards the flowers, gazing upon them all.

_"Give me a minute?"_ she heard a voice from afar. Turning around, she watched Christina Martinez enter.

Vile in hand, Leah gasped. "Oh my gosh. The First Lady?"

Christina loomed over. "Yes?" she saw the sixteen year old.

_Ponytail, backwards hat_. This was the girl.

"My name's Leah," she introduced. "Honor to meet you."

"Thank you." Christina held out her hand. As Leah took it to shake, the First Lady felt something else enter her hand. "You too."

"Is President Martinez okay?" Leah asked.

Christina nabbed a batch of flowers. "Yes, thank you."

"That's great." Leah said, watching the First Lady pay for the flowers, and then walking out with the vile.

_It had better work..._

* * *

After being strapped to a table, Leila Buchanan could only gaze around, blue eyes wide. "What's going on? Carlos?" she watched the familiar man enter, along with Dr. Lu.

Lu had a container of fluid, a large q-tip in it. "What is that?" Leila demanded, as Carlos pinned down her head.

"In 1918, the Spanish Flu had nearly killed twenty percent of the worlds population," Sophia said when she strolled in. "There were a lot of strains of mutation, here's one of them." she motioned towards the container of fluid.

"A strain so deadly..." Sophia said. "It turned entire cities into graveyards, overnight."

"No!" Leila shrieked. "Please!"

"We worked hard to find this particular strain," Sophia told her. Dr. Lu put some of the strain on the q-tip, and lowered it to Leila's face.

"Now you, a hybrid, between our people and theirs, you're gonna help us spread it." she declared.

Carlos held Leila's face tight. Lu inserted the Spanish Flue strain into Leila's nose, immediately making her infected.


	21. Devotion Save Me Now

**I'm disappointed that the show is canceled. It does change how I wanted to end the story here. :P  
**

**Oh, I saw Jarvis in _Thirteen Days_ (I swear it was him) it was awesome.**

* * *

Simon and Leah went into a bar, where Blake had just gotten off the phone. As they sat at his booth, he announced that Martinez's conditions were improving.

Leah sighed in relief. The antidote had worked.

Wait.

She shouldn't be happy.

That man killed her mother and sister. Innocents of her people.

Leah growled to herself, knowing she had to put her feelings aside when it came to the future of humanity.

"That's great news," Simon quickly said.

"Did you learn anything about Sophia?" Blake hoped.

"I know she sent a team to Siberia to find the weapon she plans to use," he answered. Leah listened as they discussed the oddities of that, and Herbert's ice-core samples from Russia.

Leading them to the conclusion that the weapon was now in the United States.

Leah drew their attention to the TV, where the news was showing about a terrorist attack in New Jersey.

"Terrorist attack," Blake repeated. "A dead Sleeper."

Leah snorted to herself. More like Sophia Attack.

* * *

Silently, Simon waited until the long, dark haired female drew the corner, until he shoved her forward and took her gun. "Put your hands up." He ordered.

She sighed.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Simon demanded.

She didn't answer.

Simon shoved her forward. "Blake! We got company!"

Blake came out just as Sean Walker was behind him, his gun aimed at him. "Put the gun down!" he ordered.

"You put the gun down!" Simon said back.

Leah came out, going, "…_whoa_."

"I remember you," Sean realized. "You're one of Sophia's people!"

"Not anymore," Simon denied.

"I don't believe you. Who are you!" Sean now asked Blake.

"Blake Sterling…"

"He's the Director of National Intelligence." The lady finished for him.

"Not anymore," Blake said. "And who the hell are you?" he asked Sean.

"I'm Sean Walker."

"…from the plane." He realized. "…what are you doing here?"

"You first."

"There was a terrorist attack at a mall. The terrorist, Roman, we tracked his location here." Simon explained.

"We're the ones who stopped that attack," the lady informed.

"What?" Blake asked.

"It was supposed to be a dry run," Sean added. "Sophia's going to release a virus."

"A strain deadlier than the 1918 Spanish Flu," the lady clarified.

"Do you have any idea where she is?" Blake hoped.

"No, that's why we came here." Sean answered.

Simon lowered his gun. "Then we're all just wasting time. Let's start looking around." Sean went to follow him while Blake stood there still.

Leah had her eye on the lady, who was Vicky Roberts.

* * *

At the hospital, President Jarvis was standing outside of Elias Martinez's room when he saw Christina and her guards walk up.

"Christina, I just learned excellent news about your-"

The former First Lady slapped him right on the face. "I know you _poisoned_ him," she snarled.

Jarvis glared at her. "That's absolutely ridiculous!"

"My husband almost _died_ because of you!" she pointed at him. "Our son almost lost his _father_! I will make sure I tell your wife and children what you've-"

One of Jarvis's guards put his hand on her arm, but she shoved him off. "DON'T YOU TOUCH ME! BACK OFF!" she roared. She looked at the President. "You are nothing but a _coward_. Look at me, Raymond…"

"Mrs. Martinez…"

"I am gonna BURY YOU ALIVE!" she threatened. "You understand me?"

"Mrs. Martinez!"

"WHAT IS IT?" she hissed.

"The president is awake."

Christina gasped lightly, stepping away to follow the nurse into her husband's room. "Mr. President, see if you can follow my finger." The doctor moved his finger from left to right.

Martinez followed his finger very well.

"Good," the doctor praised. Christina held her husband's hand as he mumbled her name.

When the married couple was finally alone, Christina told him quietly about how Jarvis is working with Sophia, and that she gave him the substance that poisoned him, and then how Blake, Simon, and Leah acquired the antidote to save him.

"What about Sophia's plan to bring her people here?" he reminded. "I need to talk to Blake."

* * *

Leah listened as Blake recognized Vicky, while Simon explained to Sean about Leila, and how Michael was shot.

When they finally found a lead on what they were there for, Blake's phone rang.

"Sterling,"

"_Blake…"_

"Mr. President," Blake said. Simon looked up at him. "It's good to hear your voice, sir,"

"_And yours. Christina told me what you did. Thank you for saving my life. Thank Agent Lee, and the girl too. I need you to bring me up to speed on what's going on with Sophia."_

Blake explained. "According to Agent Lee, her home world is unstable, so she's bringing her people here."

"_The entire population?"_

"Yes; and in order to make room, she intends to release a bioweapon, a virus they're immune to but would decimate the human population. Jarvis is being played for a fool. He fired me."

"_What?"_

"Yes, and he stopped all efforts to hunt down Sophia's people."

"_Blake, see what you can do about Sophia. I'll deal with Jarvis."_

* * *

Leah watched in pure amazement as Sean used his amazing computer hacking skills. She didn't really understand what they were doing but she still watched.

It kept her from crying. It kept her from thinking of Lena.

Now they were in the car. Leah still didn't know what was happening, but Blake was setting up his silenced pistol.

Serious shit was gonna go down. This she knew.

"We're five minutes out." Sean pulled out two spare magazines and handed them back.

"Where did you get that?" Simon looked at the ancient looking scroll-like paper Sean had.

"It was from a man who claimed to be a protector of us from your people," Sean answered.

"What did he tell you about it?"

"Nothing. I have no idea what it is. Or what it says. Do you?"

"If he could read it, he knew more than he was telling you," Simon realized.

"About what?" Sean asked.

Simon snuck a quick glance back at Leah.

_"About us. Why we're here. And about what happened."_

* * *

When they reached wherever the hell they were now at, Vicky was used as a decoy to get in. They shot the two guards standing outside like it was no big deal, and the group of five went their way in.

They found an unarmed man and pinned him against the wall. "Don't move. Don't try to yell out for anyone. Understand?" Simon said.

He nodded.

"How many people are here?" Sean demanded.

"Two guards upstairs…"

"Uh-huh,"

"Me and Dr. Lu. Five, if you count the prisoner."

"What prisoner?" Sean asked.

"A girl."

Sean just knew who it was, and so did Leah.

Sean knocked the guy out, and went in the direction the man came from. Everyone followed, and Leah saw Leila in a see-through plastic tent of sorts.

"_Leila!_

"_Sean!"_

He promised to get her out of there, but she said she was infected with the changed and moderated Spanish Flu.

"…what do you mean?" Sean asked.

"They put it in me. If you touch me, you die." She stated.

Leah had frowned. She didn't want to see, but somehow she felt the sorrow that rippled through Sean Walker.

* * *

In the President's room, Jarvis looked up as the door opened. "I said I didn't want to be disturbed…" he stopped. _"…Eli?"_

Richard Peel shut the door as Elias Martinez walked over with a cane, now dressed in a black suit with a yellow tie.

"What are you doing here?" Jarvis asked innocently.

"Get out from behind that desk," Martinez ordered. "And get the hell out of my office."

"I have every right to be here," Jarvis informed. "I am now acting President,"

"I know you tried to kill me," Martinez said with the slightest of a smile.

"I don't know what you're…"

"I know you…and Sophia…"

"I don't know what you've been told…but if you're referring the peace agreement I've made with her…"

"Peace agreement?" Martinez repeated with a scoff.

"Please Richard, help me here," Jarvis begged.

"You're on your own, Raymond," Richard said, trying his hardest not to grin.

"I am the President of the United States," Jarvis declared.

"Not for long," Martinez laughed. "Not for long…"

"We'll see about that. There needs to be a vote that you're capable. And you've had terrible strokes. Who knows what damage has been done to your brain."

"You son of a-!" Martinez went to attack, but nearly tripped over his own cane so he stepped back.

"Look at you Eli. You can barely stand. Let alone lead this country."

* * *

Richard Crace went to desperate measures to fly from Brazil to Washington, D.C., despite Alea's protests on not flying in any planes.

He prayed they still lived in the same house.

Richard had the taxi pull up in front of the home, and he hopped out without even paying. His military rank earned him a free ride.

The door was locked, so he kicked the door open and dashed inside, looking around. The place was abandoned.

Completely.

So he assumed.

Richard walked through the kitchen, and then was in the living room.

And couldn't believe what he was saw.

Either this was all a big joke, or he was looking down at a ghost.

A fourteen year old with brunette hair and brown eyes was lying on the living room floor. Her clothes were burnt and torn.

First degree burns were visible on her face, and various spots on her body seen through the burnt clothing.

Richard knelt down to her, saying, "Jesus Christ…" and was afraid to touch her due to the burns.

He gulped, as the girl moved a little, vaguely opening her eyes.

"Arlena," he breathed. "Oh God, you're alive." He said. "Don't move. Don't move."

Lena looked up at the dark haired man with brown eyes, wearing an army uniform.

"_Who are you?"_


	22. I'm Running From A Warzone

Lena looked at herself in the mirror with pure terror. "Oh my God," she could only say, too afraid to touch her burned face.

She looked like she'd survived an explosion.

_"There are three buses. David is in charge of the first. Michael the second. Thomas the third. It is time."_

_"Girls, I want you on Michael's bus. I'm going on David's to make sure the others will be alright."_

It took Richard Crace a good thorough search of the entire house to find a first aid kit. He returned to the bathroom, where Lena was a little wary of him.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you." He was upset that she somehow suffered memory loss, but he was so grateful that she was alive.

"You said you're my dad?" Lena repeated, her brown eyes wide.

"Yes," he confirmed.

_"Pshh. I'm going on Thomas's bus."_

_"You're solo then."_

_"What-? Seriously?" _

_"Yeah. I don't like that guy. I'll do as Mom said. See ya' when we arrive...wherever it is we'll arrive at."_

Lena then gasped, taking a giant step back, covering her mouth.

"What-?" Richard said worriedly.

_"No. No. NO! MOOOOOM!"_

_"Leadership is discipline. Sacrifice."_

_"THOMAS!"_

_"Get in front of Sophia's bus. NOW."_

_**Boom**_.

"I'm _dead_," Lena shrieked. "I'm _dead_!"

"No, you're _alive_!" Richard corrected. "You're alive!"

She started to sob. "_I_ _was dead! We were all dead! I wanted to go home!"_ she continued hysterically.

"You are home," Richard said calmly.

Lena stopped, her eyes even wider if that was possible. "I'm home-?"

"Yes."

She breathed loudly and deeply. "Dad," she cried. "Mom's dead. I need to find Leah…"

* * *

In an office, Martinez was sat weakly in a chair when Richard Peel came in, with a phone. "It's Blake," he announced, setting it down and on speaker.

"_We need your help, Mr. President,"_ Blake started. _"We know Sophia's releasing the virus at a food processing plant just outside of Richmond, The Bureau Engraving, and at Dulles International Airport."_

Martinez and Peel shared a quick and fearful glance. "My God," Peel whispered.

"Jarvis is challenging my reinstatement. Until then I can't give any orders." Martinez informed.

"_What's the time frame?"_ Blake questioned.

"It'll take at least another hour or two to get the Cabinet together," Peel answered.

"_It might be too late by then,"_ Blake growled.

"We can launch containment operations at the Bureau Engraving," Martinez input. "And the food processing plant. Richard's the Chief of Staff. You can send teams in via written orders of the President."

"Jarvis wouldn't have to know," Peel realized. He walked over to the computer.

"No," Martinez agreed. "But shutting down an airport terminal is another story."

"_We have to do something. If anyone at the airport gets infected, and they travel to other countries, there's no stopping the infection."_

* * *

Blake said, "President Martinez is doing everything he can, but it may be up to us to stop Sophia at the airport."

"There's five of us," Vicky pointed out. "What can we do?"

"We can call in a bomb threat," Simon suggested. "Get the whole place to shut down."

"Even then Sophia could still release the virus," Blake reminded.

At the airport, Sean and Vicky went to find Sophia, a reluctant Leah following, while Simon and Blake went the opposite way.

Meanwhile, just entering the airport through the main entrance, were a father and his daughter.

Lena felt everyone's eyes on her as she passed. "How do you know she's here?" Richard Crace mumbled.

"I'm an alien, Dad. I know." She answered. She felt so exhausted to the point where she could just lay down and die, but she couldn't.

She had to find her sister.

Richard had taken one more step until Lena gasped in shock and relief. "What?" he asked. She had frozen, and then called out, "SIMON!"

Blake and Simon stopped, looking over to see the burnt teenager standing painfully with a man neither of them recognized. "Arlena," Simon said. "I don't believe…"

Lena sprinted to the men, asking, "Where's Leah? Where is she?"

"She's with Sean," Simon informed. "Oh, my God. How are you…_alive_…?"

"That's a good question," Blake said. "But we have to keep going."

"What is going on?" Richard demanded.

"Whatever you're doing, I'm going with you," Lena declared. "Sophia did this to me." She motioned at her wounded and burnt self. "Don't you say no to me."

"Fine," Blake said.

"What the?" Richard asked confusingly.

"Sir, I need you to try and get these people out of here," Simon urged.

"What for? You're not taking my daughter anywhere…"

"Dad! Shut the hell up!" Lena raged.

"I'm Blake Sterling, the Director of National Intelligence. Do as we say." He ordered.

Richard Crace simply stared as his youngest daughter ran off with the two strange men.

* * *

Sneaking past security, Lena went with Simon and Blake as they used stealth to find the man with the canister containing the virus. Simon tried to focus, but the plaguing question of how this girl was alive haunted him.

"I got a visual," he noticed. Lena saw the man. He looked like a young version of John Winchester from _Supernatural_, or the actor that played him that is.

"Freeze!" Simon held out his gun.

John-Wannabe pulled out his own gun and shot out rounds.

"Cover me," Simon ordered, jumping out to get closer to John Wannabe, Sterling shooting out rounds to distract the target.

Until he shot Simon in the leg and the chest.

"Simon!" Lena cried. She knelt down and literally rolled to him as he fell.

"Oh," he groaned. "I'm fine…vest…bullet took the impact…" he ripped his shirt to reveal a bullet proof vest as Blake used a leather strap to tie where Simon was shot in the leg.

"Thank God," Lena sighed.

Blake pulled out his cell to call Sean. "We had a visual on Sophia's man but we lost him." He said. He described the man, and made clear that he had the canisters.

"Is Leah with you?"

Lena almost screamed.

"_Yeah-?"_

"Give her the phone," Blake handed his to Lena. She took it shakily and held it to her ear.

"_Hello?"_

"…Leah,"

"…_LENA,"_

"Leah!"

"_Lena! Am I crazy?"_

"No, I'm okay, I'm okay."

"_You're okay?"_

"I'm okay,"

Leah had begun to cry. _"Ohgod, Lena, where are you?"_

"With Simon," she answered.

"_You stay with him. I'll find you, Lena."_

"No. I'll find you." Lena corrected.

"_We'll find each other."_

"Yes."

"_You're alive!"_

"Yes."

"_You're alive…"_

"Yes…"

* * *

When Sean, Vicky and Leah found Sophia with Carlos and John Wannabe, Vicky shot the John Wannabe.

Sophia took off running with the canisters while Carlos stayed to cover her escape.

"Son of a bitch!" Leah hissed.

"I'll take him!" Vicky yelled, urging her and Sean to go. Leah nodded and followed Sean as they went to track down Sophia once more.

Vicky had shot Carlos, but he'd almost managed to unleash a canister that had been left behind, but Blake had came up from behind and gunned him down.

"Where's Sophia?" he asked.

"She went that way!" Vicky pointed, following him and Lena as they ran down the same dark hall Sophia did moments earlier. Since there were two exits, Blake and Lena went one way, Vicky the other.

Both sisters were running in the opposite directions, but yet going for the same place. The same goal.

_They were so close now._


	23. A Brave New World

**Here we are! Will the sisters be reunited just before the end?**

* * *

Sean Walker and Leah Mason ran like never before after Sophia Maguire. When they were back out in the public vicinity of the airport, it was difficult to pinpoint her.

But they did.

They dashed after her quickly. When they finally caught up to her, she had locked herself in an office. "Sophia!" Sean yelled, as he banged his hands against the door. "SOPHIA!"

"Sean!" the pair looked to see Vicky Roberts run up to them.

"Sophia locked herself inside here!" Sean said angrily.

"Martinez did it – all the flights here are being canceled," Vicky announced. "Sterling said the other two locations have been neutralized." She added.

"She's in there! She can release the virus!" Leah reminded.

"We have to get everyone out of here," Sean realized.

"We can't," Vicky argued. "They locked down all the exits."

Leah and Vicky watched and listened as Sean knelt down to talk to Sophia, to convince her not to release the virus here. It would prove nothing. Only murder, since the other two virus release points had been stopped.

When Sophia mentioned that her son didn't deserve to die, Leah looked around. _Where the fuck are Blake and Simon? Lena's with them…_

Unless she's not. Unless Leah was imagining this whole scenario.

SWAT-type men had arrived. They were now surrounding the area.

Leah watched Sean back away as Sophia unlocked herself out, and surrendered herself. The SWAT men arrested her.

She was amazed. Sean really did have a way with words.

* * *

Blake Sterling and Sean were getting scanned while Simon Lee was sat down, resting his shot leg.

Leah and Lena Mason were currently holding each other so tightly neither of them could breathe.

"How did you get out?" Leah mumbled to her burnt up sister.

"From the bus?"

"Yeah."

"I dunno…I remember thinking I wanted to go home. I closed my eyes, and everything _hurt_. But only for a second. I opened my eyes…and I was home, and Dad was there." Lena explained.

Leah was sobbing quietly by now, making themselves sit near Simon. "Are you girls okay?" he asked, obviously having heard Lena's explanation.

"Yes." they said together.

Simon now looked at Sean. "This isn't over. As far as I know Sophia is still bringing our people here."

The sisters were matching Sean's expression: confusion and fear.

"Our people were here before," Simon admitted. "We were here _first_."

"I don't understand," Sean said.

"This planet was our home," Simon continued. "Before it was yours."

"Then why did you leave?" Leah wondered from the other side.

"You mean why did _we_ leave," Lena corrected quietly.

"Our people believe that, if we stay here, then something would happen to all of us. We call it The Event." Simon said. "It's a rebirth. The next step of our people will change…_evolve_, into something else. Something greater…but your people won't survive it." He added.

"Why not?" Sean deadpanned. _"What happens?_

Simon went to answer, but Blake came up and said, "Transportation's here. We need to get to the White House."

Leah and Lena's faces both said, _god damn it._

* * *

Leah grinned. "This is cool. We're standing in the White House."

Lena grinned. "Hell yes."

Leah asked, "Hey, where's Dad at?"

Lena answered, "Huh? Oh, I think he's coming here. I kinda left him at the airport."

Leah said angrily, "I told him not to get on a plane."

Lena scoffed, "Since when does he listen."

Leah reminded, "You don't either."

Lena said simply, "Shut it."

Just minutes later, Sophia was led into the now again President Martinez's room in handcuffs.

After Martinez threw _everything_ at her: knowing about the portal, knowing she was bringing her people here; he asked her how to stop it.

All she said was, "You _can't_."

"Do you have a predetermined landing site?" Martinez hoped.

"You know I won't answer that." She scoffed.

"Sophia, it's over. You _lost_." Martinez alerted. "We stopped you."

"You may find this hard to believe but…the truth is…I ordered the spread of the virus as an act of mercy." Sophia admitted. "We will _still_ need to make room for my people, one way or another."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Martinez demanded.

"I'm sorry Mr. President," Sophia said.

"_Sorry about what-?" _Martinez spat.

"_It's too late…"_ Sophia said, the faintest of smiles on her face.

* * *

When the White House started to shake completely, Leah and Lena tripped and fell. When they got up, they saw that the sky was starting to light up extraordinarily.

Curiosity led them outside, and they squinted their eyes up at the sky.

And they saw a half burnt planet sitting just outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

"What the blue _hell_…?" Leah said.

"Is _that_…?" Lena finished.

They both stared in awe, until Leah realized:

_"It's them. Mom's planet. Our planet. Our people."_

Directly across from them, young David Martinez was in his mother's arms. "What is that?" he asked, looking up at the new planet in the sky.

Christina Martinez – the reinstated First Lady – had her eyes wide as she barely uttered to her son, _"Home."_

* * *

**From my belief, Earth didn't go anywhere. Sophia's planet came through the portal and is now in the same orbit as Earth. You can agree or disagree - the show won't be continued so there's no point in debating.  
**

**Thanks so much for reading! and thank you for reviewing!  
**

**-Arlena4815162342  
**


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